WLW: Heroes and Vilains
by Bcool
Summary: Book two of the What Lies Within series. Kim is on a quest for revenge against Shego. But, when she finds things are not what they seem Kim and Shego will form an uneasy alliance. A partnership that will push Kim to her emotional and moral limits and cause her to question the very nature of heroes and villains. Now rated M for violence, language and mature themes.
1. Prolog

"WLW: Heroes and Villains"

What Lies Within Book 2

Based on the characters created by

Bob Schooley & Mark Mccorkle

and original character's by Bcool

Prolog

The music pulsed in time with the lights. Together they thumped in rhythm with the intoxicated people on the dance floor. A murky haze filled the nightclub partially from kerosene fog generators and partially from cigarettes. Between the fog and the darkness Kim Possible found it rather easy to slip through the crowd undetected. Her disguise didn't hurt either, her long orange hair was now cropped black locks. She had contacts that turned her green eyes hazel. Her black dress tightened and enhanced various parts of herself changing her body type. Her false ID said she was Rafaela Aramov a 22 year old from Los Angeles California. The only thing that was true on the fake piece of plastic was her blood type.

She found herself at the railing that ran the length of the balcony that overlooked the dance floor. There were a number of raised platforms that rose from the dance floor. Atop each platform stood Lucite cages. Each cage contained a girl dancing in a g-string except one who was topless. At least it looked like she was topless. It was hard to tell for sure from where she stood. Kim walked along the railing moving in a clockwise direction around the club. When it seemed she had a better angle Kim pulled out her Telescopic Viewing Device. It was a cylinder about nine inches long and looked something like a rifle sight. However, her device had a 10X optical zoom and was equipped with infrared and night vision modes. Wade just called it the TVD. Kim brought the TVD to her eye and zoomed in on one of the cages. Sure enough the dancer was topless. The only thing she still wore was a wisp of a thong that didn't really cover much. Kim pressed a button and snapped off a series of pictures. The images were automatically downloaded to her Kimmunicator as she took them. When she was finished Kim put the TVD back in its pocket and retrieved her Kimmunicator. She pulled up the pictures and ran a facial recognition program. The software matched several distinguishing facial features like chin, cheeks, nose, eyes, and brow. When it was finished the program told her there was an 82% match. Kim frowned it wasn't as conclusive as she had hoped. However, there were several factors that could have thrown off the results and 82% was still pretty good. Kim decided to move forward, she had to follow the lead no matter how slim. She put the Kimmunicator away and drummed her fingers against the railing. If they held to their usual practice the girls had three more songs before their sets were up. Then new girls would come up and take their places. Yet, three more songs could mean she'd be waiting for as much as half an hour.

Kim left the overlook and went to the bar. Sitting on a stool she signaled to the bartender. He was young, not much more then 21. He had black hair with red tips. It was spiked and when it moved it gave off a vague impression of flames. In an instant Kim found herself staring at the glow that arose from the remains of the Rockwaller's family home.

"Miss?" The bartender called to her. Kim looked at him and gave an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, I'll just have a soda." Kim said. The bartender nodded pulling a glass from under the bar. He filled the glass, placed a straw in it and passed it to her. Kim sipped her drink hoping the carbonation would settle her stomach. So far everything had been going according to plan but she felt uneasy about what she was about to do. Her thought's kept turning to Monique who was the last person Kim wanted to think about now. How could she face her again after all this was over? How could she tell her the truth about all this? As she was trying to push these thoughts aside someone came to occupy the bar stool beside her. From their appearance and style of dress Kim could not immediately identify if they were male or female. The new arrival gestured to the bartender who passed them a bottle of some kind. After taking a sip the person turned to Kim and said something in Russian. Even upon hearing the person's voice Kim could not be sure of the person's gender. Kim shook her head as if she didn't understand.

"Ah, American then…" The person bobbed their head up and down. Kim was pretty sure her neighbor was a woman now but not for any specific reason.

"What brings an American girl to a place like this?"

"Would you believe me if I said I was here for the Vodka?" Kim asked.

"No…" The woman smiled pointing to Kim's drink. "Since you're drinking a soda."

Kim looked down at her glass feeling foolish for that little slip. She smiled to play it off.

"Maybe I like working my way up to the good stuff."

A Cheshire cat grin spread across the woman's lips.

"Don't take too long… you may lose the opportunity." The woman took her drink and moved away from the bar. Kim watched her disappear into the crowd. Had she just been propositioned?

"I wouldn't if I were you." The Bartender said.

"What?" Kim turned toward him. He shrugged.

"I said you should leave that one alone. But, it's only my opinion." He shrugged again. Kim wondered what would prompt the bartender to offer such advice. He obviously knew the other woman and must think her trouble for some reason or another. Not that it mattered she was here on a mission and she wasn't about to be distracted from that.

The third song was winding down. Kim placed a few bills on the bar for the drink and a tip. Kim left the bar and made her way down to the dance floor. She weaved through the crowd keeping the cage with the topless girl in sight. As Kim watched a strawberry blond came up to the cage. The back opened and the two swapped places. Kim fell in behind the topless girl and followed her. They left the dance floor proper and approached a door marked employees only. But, instead of opening the door Topless spun around and looked right at her. Kim pulled up short meeting her gaze.

"What do you want?" Topless said. Kim let a smile spread across her lips. She took a step forward.

"What if I said I wanted you?" Kim said.

"I'm a dancer not a whore." Topless replied.

"I wasn't offering money, just a good time."

Topless looked her over. Her eyes traveled down Kim's body lingering on the areas accentuated by her dress, then came back up to meet Kim's. The new song had a hefty base beat she could feel thumping through her. The strobes flashed wildly in reds, greens and blues, casting staccato shadows on the walls. The lights ignited in Topless's eyes as her lips turned up into a snake like smile.

"I could use a good time…" She held out her hand. "Follow me." Kim took her hand and allowed Topless to lead her through the door and back to her dressing room. Topless closed and locked the door.

"So what did you have in mind?" Kim's hands slid around her bare abdomen and pulled Topless tight against herself. Kim nuzzled her neck while rubbing her stomach and abs. Topless sighed. One of Kim's hands rose to the woman's chest. She heard her moan. Kim's other hand withdrew to one of her pockets. She drew out the small gadget.

"I'm sorry about this…" Kim whispered.

"Sorry…?" Topless echoed, her voice muddled, her mind foggy. Kim pressed the gadget to her back.

"Sorry for what?" The hand taser hummed for a split second. Topless fell into her limp and unconscious. Kim held on, cradling the woman, making sure she did not fall.

"Sorry, but there wasn't any other way."

* * *

Author's Note:

Just for the sake of clarity let me say this is a sequel to a pervious work. Though this story does somewhat stand on its own I believe the reader will understand and enjoy it much more if they read the original first.

Also I warn in advance that while I am starting this story at a T rating it may progress to an M at some point.


	2. Reminiscent

Chapter One

Reminiscent

It was a familiar seen even if she were on the other side of it this time. Kim sat in a chair next to Monique's hospital bed. Monique was sleeping. Kim had always enjoyed watching her sleep, but this was different. There was no satisfaction in seeing Monique like this. Monique was out of danger and had been transferred out of the ICU three days earlier. Monique still slept a lot but her waking periods were growing longer. She was gaining some strength back, but had no memory of the attack. The doctors were quick to reassure them that some memory loss was perfectly normal. The CT and CAT scans didn't show any physical cause so they said it was psychological. It was the mind's way of protecting itself.

Instead of feeling relieved Kim was overwhelmed with anger and regret. She hated that this had happened right under her nose and she had been powerless to stop it. However, she would do something about it. After all this was all her fault. She had failed to save Bonnie's family from the bomb that claimed their lives. That was the crisis that drove Bonnie into Shego's arms. The point break. She had failed to protect Monique too and it had resulted in her being brutally beaten within an inch of her life. This time would be different though. This time she would make sure Shego and Bonnie paid dearly for what they had done. There was no doubt in her mind that they were the ones responsible. Bonnie thought she was avenging her family. Shego was a sadist who loved to torment her. But they had crossed the line and she could not let it pass. Kim had Wade searching for Shego and Bonnie with no success. It was like they had disappeared into thin air after escaping from GJ. There was no evidence they had been in Middleton, no trail to follow. She pushed him to keep at it anyway. They had to turn up eventually. The Kimmunicator chirped from her pocket. She grabbed the device and answered the call.

"Tell me you have something." Kim said as Wade's image appeared on the screen.

"I may have found them." He replied.

"May have?"

"There are reports alleging Shego was seen in Moscow." Wade reported.

"Only Shego?"

"That's what the report says." That was troubling. Shego and Bonnie were attached at the hip. Bonnie helped her escape. Why would Shego be moving through Japan alone? Several scenarios played out in her mind. It was possible Shego had hidden Bonnie somewhere to protect her, though Bonnie was not the classic damsel in distress. She didn't just let others protect her. Another possibility was that Shego had killed or abandoned Bonnie after they had escaped together. Kim believed Shego was capable of doing it but something about the scenario didn't feel right. Doesn't have to feel right to be right she chided herself. Kim resolved that Bonnie's fate wasn't as important as having a lead on Shego. When Kim caught up with her she could find out the rest.

"Is there any other reason to think the report is bogus?" Kim asked.

"There's no evidence either way." Wade shrugged.

"It's more then we had before. How long will it take you to set up a ride?"

Wade stared at her through the screen.

"You want to go? I thought you'd want me to pass it on to GJ, that you'd want to stay with Monique."

Kim pursed her lips. Wade couldn't be that naïve. She hadn't been riding him for days to turn up information on Shego's whereabouts only to turn it over to someone else, least of all that pompous jackass Lucas Lindsay. Lindsay was still serving as acting director of Global Justice. Dr. Betty Shepard was still recovering from the injuries she sustained while fighting Shego. Most of her injuries were fully healed, but her arm was the worst of it. Shego's energy bolt had destroyed a lot of the muscle and nerves in her left forearm. The damage was so severe that the doctors ultimately had to amputate the arm below the elbow. Since then she had been fitted with a robotic arm and hand. It gave her a striking appearance and added another point of commonality with her twin brother Gemini. Though Betty was still getting used to her new appendage what kept her from returning to work was the formal investigation into her involvement with Shego. Of course Lindsay was spearheading the investigation… or witch hunt in Kim's opinion. With Lindsay in charge there was little chance Betty would come out of this unscathed. Kim doubted any criminal charges would be filed but her career was probably over, which meant they would likely be stuck with Lindsay for a long time.

Kim shook her head. "Set up the ride and don't tell Global Justice." Wade didn't look happy.

"You know GJ is still keeping tabs on you. They're going to know you're leaving the country." Wade said. Wade had already warned her about the surveillance GJ had on her. Apparently Lindsay still didn't trust her. He was suspicious that she had nothing to do with Bonnie freeing Shego and disappearing with her. Just one more reason Kim didn't like him.

"I'll shake the surveillance." Kim said.

"And if they come asking?"

"Lie. Tell them you don't know where I'm going."

"They'll never believe that." Wade argued.

"Doesn't matter they can't prove otherwise."

Kim rose from her chair. "Just do it Wade." Kim ended the call and placed the Kimmunicator in its pocket.

When she looked back at the bed Monique was staring up at her. Kim had not counted on her conversation waking Monique. Kim froze, painfully self-conscious all of a sudden.

"How much of that did you hear?" Kim asked.

"All of it." Monique's voice was dry and cracked. Kim took a cup of water from the bed tray and held it out to her. Monique took it with an unsteady hand and sipped from it.

"Thanks." Monique said. Kim forced a smile. She had meant to slip away before Monique awoke. She didn't want to explain why she was leaving and she didn't want to lie. However, neither of those were an option now. Kim watched as Monique took another sip of water. She couldn't help but think about Ron. How he had left her in the hospital without saying goodbye, without telling her where he was going. She had been so angry with him, hated him for it. Yet she had almost done the same thing to Monique and she hated herself for it. Monique deserved to be told the truth.

"Will you forgive me?" Kim found her voice. Monique's fingertip played with the rim of the cup. She licked her cracked lips before speaking.

"I understand why your leaving and I know I can't stop you." Monique said.

Kim shook her head. "That isn't an answer."

"No, it isn't" Monique agreed. Kim felt her heart sink.

"Is that a no?"

"I'm not sure yet." Monique admitted. She saw Kim slumped forward and reached for her hand. Kim took it and intertwined their fingers.

"No matter what, I'll be here when you get back." Monique squeezed her hand. Kim nodded feeling a little better. Perhaps it was too soon to ask for forgiveness. At least she would still have someone to come home to.

"I love you." Kim told her.

"I love you too." Monique replied. Kim stood, leaned over the bed and placed a single kiss on Monique's forehead. Then she turned and walked away from the bed. At the door an announcement squawked over the PA system and Kim didn't hear Monique had begun to cry.

* * *

In the Next Chapter:

Kim is in Russia hunting for Shego but will her passion for revenge lead her in over her head?


	3. Chasing Geese

Chapter Two

Chasing Geese

Kim walked down the crowded streets of Moscow in a fur parka. Traces of her black wig peeked out from the hood and fell into her eyes. Her black denim jeans hung low on her hips. The outfit had been part of her plan to get around the GJ surveillance. It had worked and now in Moscow she found she wanted to keep the disguise. She liked not being recognized, the anonymity made her feel safe. Especially since GJ could still be watching her. Kim was pretty sure she had slipped their surveillance before leaving the US, but she couldn't be sure. Kim had spent a fair amount of time with Dr. Betty Shepard and was familiar with her playbook. However, she only knew Lindsay enough to distrust him. So, she kept her guard up even now five thousand miles from home.

Kim made her way to a business that served as a front for the local organized crime ring. If Shego were in the area they were more likely to know about it then the police were. Kim turned down an alley and descended a staircase, which ended at a heavy metal door. Kim knocked a rhythm into the door the first few beats of a Wagner piece. A slot in the door slid open and a pair of large eyes stared at her.

"Vodka" Kim said ladening her voice with a Russian accent. The eyes grunted behind the door and the slot slid closed. The bolt unlatched and the door swung open. Kim entered the cement entryway, weary of unseen threats.

"State your business!" The large doorman boomed at her.

"I want to see Meshka." Kim said maintaining her Russian accent.

"And who are you?" The man asked. Kim pulled out her Kimmunicator, which held a picture of Shego.

"I'm looking for her." Kim showed him the picture. The Doorman stared at the image. His scowl indicated he recognized her. The Doorman grunted again and held out his hand and Kim understood she was supposed to hand him the Kimmunicator. She pressed the lockout button on the side of the device, so it could not be used without her access code, and placed the device into the Doorman's massive hand. He placed it into one of his jacket pockets and then gestured for her to raise her arms. Kim obeyed and the Doorman patted her down looking for weapons or other devices. He paused at the front pocket of her coat, reached in and pulled out her BZK pistol. The Doorman looked it over and then peered down at her.

"It's for Meshka." Kim said. The Doorman finished his pat down and took her wallet as well. He then turned toward the hallway behind him.

"Follow me." Doorman growled.

Meshka was the current head of the Cossack Crime Syndicate. From the outside it appeared to be one of the smaller Syndicates, dealing mostly in protection rackets, extortion and smuggling black market weapons. However, their leader was extremely well connected and always knew what was going on in the areas his group was active.

Kim followed the Doorman into a sitting room.

Meshka stood before a roaring fireplace, a cigar in one hand and a glass of vodka in the other. He turned as they came into the room.

"Ivan?" Meshka nodded toward Kim. The big man walked to his boss and handed him the gun and the wallet. Meshka set down his glass and placed the cigar between his lips. He took the articles from Ivan and opened the wallet.

"Miss Romanova?" Meshka read her fake ID.

"Ja." Kim nodded. Meshka handed the wallet back to her.

"What can I do for you?" Meshka spoke around the cigar as he inspected the pistol.

"I need information." Kim said.

"And the weapon?"

"It is an American non-lethal stun gun." Kim said.

"Yes, the BZK. I know what it is. Why did you bring it to me?"

"It's payment." Kim replied.

"I see... One last question Comrade." Meshka puffed on his cigar.

"Why should I help a world famous teen hero?" Ivan yanked off Kim's hood displacing her wig and revealing her red hair underneath. Kim removed the wig and braced for an attack from Ivan. Kim heard a gun slide engaging as Ivan chambered a round in his pistol. Kim raised her hands in the air but nothing else happened. For now Meshka seemed content with unmaking her.

"How did you know?" Kim asked.

"First your ID is not very good, a local barkeep would have been able to spot it."

Kim swore silently. Wade was good at many things, though apparently getting fake IDs wasn't one of them.

"Second you bring me an experimental weapon from a United States government agency." Meshka continued.

"Anything else?" Kim asked.

"Your accent is horrible." Meshka said with a shrug.

"So what happens now?" Kim stole a glance behind her. Meshka sighed and rubbed his chin.

"Now you tell me why you came here looking for my help."

"I'm looking for Shego." Kim said simply. Meshka nodded as if it all made perfect sense. He picked up his glass and took a sip of Vodka.

"Ja, she was in Moscow." Meshka said.

"Was?"

"She is gone now, left sometime during the night."

"Damn it." Kim let out a frustrated sigh. "What was she doing here?"

"I only know she spent most of her time at Armageddon."

"Armageddon, like the movie?"

Meshka chuckled. "More like the biblical battle at the end of the world. It is a night club owned by a man named Jonathan Write one of my chief competitors." Meshka explained. Kim frowned. She should have waited for Wade to dig up more information before coming to Moscow. She wasn't prepared for this and Shego had slipped away. However, if Shego had been meeting with this Write guy then he might know where she was going.

"Where is this club?"

"You are not thinking of going there?" Meshka said.

"Actually I was." Kim folded her arms in front of her chest.

Meshka shook his head. "You would never get inside." He took another sip from his glass before setting it down and picking up the BZK.

"You know this weapon is worth a lot on the black market. It is worth far more then the information you've requested."

"So?"

"So I don't leave debts outstanding." Meshka turned toward Ivan and spoke to him in Russian.

"I can't dissuade you from continuing this?" Meshka asked taking on a concerned tone that was almost paternal in warmth. Kim thought this odd. She and Meshka had never met before now and yet he seemed to be displaying a genuine concern for her. Why should he care at all?

"No, you can't." Kim said simply. She was aware that she was in unfamiliar waters with dangers she was ill equipped to face. But, she did not care. Kim thought she would follow Shego to the gates of hell if she had too. Meshka must have recognized this because he nodded and said.

"Ivan will take you to Martina, she will give you everything you need to get into Armageddon."

* * *

Kim had not yet been an hour under Martina's skill and already she did not like her. The new disguise turned out to be a total makeover. Martina had quickly ruled out using a wig.

"They're unreliable and too easy to spot." She had said. Instead the mad woman had actually cut her hair. It now ended about an inch above her shoulders. Foil now covered it as black permanent dye set in. Martina was hard at work giving a pedicure to her left hand. In her right she held a tablet computer with information about Jonathan Write and his nightclub. Meshka stood near by supervising Martina's work.

"So, once I'm in how do I get to Write?" Kim asked him.

"You don't." The gangster replied. "You'll never get past his security." Meshka brought up some pictures on the tablet. The pictures showed Write flanked on either side by a pair of women. They wore business suits and looked like they could have been models.

"The women?" Kim said.

"Personal body guards. Don't let their looks fool you they are deadly and precise assassins." Kim wondered how many people had underestimated them thinking they were merely whores or window dressing.

"So how do I get the information?"

"Like me, Write is obsessive about keeping records on all his dealings. If he's involved with Shego he will have files on her whereabouts."

"He'll have those at the club?"

"In the restricted area. Your real problem is getting back there. Write employs RFID transponder chips to allow access into restricted areas."

"You're not going to stick a chip in me!" Kim said.

"You don't understand. The microchips Write uses are programmed with a specific access code. When an RF signal is within range it activates the chip which transmits the code." Meshka explained. Kim frowned. That complicated things. It wasn't like she could cut the chip out of someone.

Kim called Wade and brought him into the conversation.

"Wade I need to get around an RFID system." There was a pause as Wade took in her appearance.

"Kim? What are you doing to yourself?"

Kim rolled her eyes. "Wade, the chips!"

"Okay... Well I can transmit an RF frequency through the Kimmunicator and then record the access code from a coded chip." Wade said.

"So I just need to get close to one of the workers."

"We'll it depends." Wade said.

"Depends on what?" Kim asked.

"I'll need some time to find the right RF frequency and then the chip might be encrypted." Wade said.

"Okay, I'll think of something. Thanks Wade." Kim ended the call.

"I might have a solution for you." Meshka spoke up. He again accessed the tablet computer, this time bringing up an Internet video taken from inside Armageddon. The quality was poor, probably taken from a cell phone. However it was clear enough to see several women dancing on raised platforms. Each was in a different stage of undress. Kim looked up at Meshka and raised an eyebrow.

"This is your idea?"

"The dancers will be chipped."

"And how does that help me?" Kim asked.

"You are smart girl… I'm sure you'll figure it out." Meshka smiled.

* * *

In the next chapter:

We catch up with Kim in the dressing room of the club dancer. Kim is alone on hostel ground hoping to pick up a thread that will lead her to Shego.

Author's Note:

I just want to warn everyone that I may not be able to post updates as often as I would like this month. There are a lot of things going on in May and I will do the best I can to keep chapters flowing but I ask for patience… thanks.


	4. Cloak and Dagger

Chapter Three

Cloak and Dagger

Kim carefully laid Topless on the floor. According to the specs on the taser Topless would be unconscious for at least half an hour. That didn't give her a lot of time when she wasn't even sure what she was looking for. Kim pulled out her Kimmunicator.

"Wade are you ready to scan for the chip?"

"Sure, but what exactly am I scanning?" Wade asked. Kim considered turning the Kimmunicator around. Showing him the unconscious woman, but then he would ask more questions. He would want to know what she was doing and perhaps even question her judgment. Not that she wasn't already questioning her actions, but answering Wade's would take time, time that she did not have.

"Wade, I promise I will give you all the details when I get home. Right now I just need you to do what I ask without asking too many questions." Kim said. Wade stared at her for a moment a mix of disappointment and frustration evident in his features. Then he took a deep breath and began typing at his console.

"Beginning RF scan." Wade said. Kim moved the Kimmunicator along Topless' body.

"Kim, I'm not getting anything." Wade said.

"What do you mean?" Kim brought the device back in front of her." Wade typed in a few more commands.

"It means there's no RFID chip in the Kimmunicators broadcast range." Wade answered. Kim looked down at Topless. The facial recognition program had positively ID the dancer Kim had chosen based on Meska's intelligence.

"That's not possible." This was exactly the situation she didn't want to find herself in. She wanted an easy in and out but as it turned out nothing was ever easy.

"Sorry Kim, I don't know what to tell you."

"How about what I'm supposed to do now?" Kim asked. Before Wade could answer there was a knock at the door followed by a muffled female voice.

"Kendra, are you okay in there?" It was likely one of the other dancers. A moment of panic shook Kim from her desperation and a hasty plan formed. Kim looked from the door to the unconscious girl and back again.

"Kim..." Wade said in a tone that suggested he knew what she was thinking. She ended the called before he could finish. Kim rose and went to the door. She took a moment to ruffle her hair and clothes until she looked appropriately disheveled. Then she opened the door to a petite woman with blond hair. She looked concerned and instantly suspicious...

"Who the hell are..." Her voice trailed off as she saw Topless on the ground.

"Oh my god, Kendra!" The blond pushed past Kim and dropped to her knees beside her friend.

"She just past out." Kim said silently closing the door again.

"Kendra..." The blond was shaking the unconscious woman. Kim came up behind her pulling out the taser.

"I don't know what happened?" Kim said as she knelt down behind the blond. Kim pressed the taser to the base of her neck. Zap... the blond slumped forward. Kim took out her Kimmunicator recalling Wade.

"Rerun the scan!" Kim told him.

"Kim, you're loosing it." Wade sighed.

"I'm not losing it, run the scan." Wade fell silent as his fingers typed commands at his console, after a few seconds he nodded.

"Okay I got something. A numeric string that looks like it could be an entry code."

"Download it to the Kimmunicator." She told him.

"Kim, can we talk about this?" Wade hesitated.

"I told you we'd talk when I get back." Kim tried to hide the frustration and anger she was feeling. Wade had never questioned her this much on a single operation. He obviously didn't agree with what she was doing or how she was going about it. However, Kim didn't feel she needed his approval. After all he worked for her, not the other way around.

"Send it." There was an edge in her voice that made Wade lean backward. His eyes dropped to the floor and he let out another sigh.

"Sending the data." Wade typed the commands into his console. An icon appeared on the screen that told her a download was in progress and a chime sounded when it finished.

"Thanks Wade." Kim said.

"Just, be careful okay… you've got a lot of people here who want to see you come home." Wade's imaged blinked out. His final words echoed in her mind. There were a lot people who wanted her to come home. Did Wade really expect her to drop everything and rush back? The implication was that she was pursuing some selfish need for revenge at the expense of those closest to her. Kim resented that implication. She was doing this for the people she loved; to make sure Shego could never hurt any of them again. It wasn't about revenge. At least that's what she told herself. Kim pushed the thoughts from her mind she still had a job to finish and the clock was ticking. Kim rolled the blond dancer onto her back and stripped her. Kim took off her own outfit and put on the dancer's clothes. Then Kim slid the Kimmunicator into one of the pockets and left the room making sure to lock it behind her.

Kim had memorized the layout of the club from blueprints Meshka had given her during her makeover. She navigated the maze of hallways with the ease and fluidity of someone who belonged there. She flashed smiles at people as she passed, but made sure to avoid direct eye contact. Though her "disguise" helped her anonymity she still hoped she would not leave a lasting impression on anyone. Still even with everything going more or less to plan she still couldn't help the nerves pricking the back of her mind. She kept expecting someone to see right through her and to raise an alarm or just shoot her outright. However, even as she approached the door to the restricted area at the very heart of the building no alarms sounded, no guards appeared. Kim approached the door slowly allowing her Kimmunicator to pick up the scanner and transmit the access code. A buzzer sounded and the deadbolt disengaged.

Kim pushed the door open and went through them. The restricted area was made up of half a dozen rooms. Some were used for business others for pleasure. There was a large office and a soundproof "cell" Write used for interrogations. Kim was headed for the server room that held the computers that ran everything in the club. They also held records on anyone Write did business with. Kim found the room and slipped inside. She went to one of the computer consoles and plugged the Kimmunicator into it. A hacking program launched automatically and gave her access to all the files in the system. Kim scrolled through the list of associates but didn't see Shego's name. She scanned it again to be sure, but Shego wasn't in the database. Kim felt herself begin to panic. Had this all been for nothing? What if Meshka was really working with Write and this was all a trap? Kim took a deep breath trying to keep herself calm.

The associate list was not very long. She decided to read it name by name. She stopped near the bottom when she came across the name Viride Mulieris. Kim recognized the words were Latin and even thought she knew what they meant. Just to be sure she brought up the translation app on her Kimmunicator. Viride meant green and Mulieris was latin for woman. Kim smiled, that had to be that she thought about it, it made sense to refer to people in code. Kim opened the file on Viride Mulieris. Sure enough it was filled with pictures of Shego along with long written records of her meetings with Write and surveillance reports on her whereabouts. The last report stated that Shego was staying in a hotel in Tokyo, Japan. There was also a comment near the bottom that Shego had frequented a hospital close to the hotel. That was odd but Kim didn't have time to run through all the reasons why. She downloaded the entire file to her Kimmunicator, detached the Kimmunicator and log out of the system.

She had the information, now she needed to get out of there. She retraced her path back to the dressing room. The women were still unconscious so Kim changed back into her dress and went back out onto the dance floor. Though her nerves didn't let up until she was on the plane headed for Tokyo.

* * *

Author's Note:

As I feared May was an extremely hard month so I didn't get much done. I apologies for rushing this chapter a little, but I really wanted to get something posted. Hopefully I can get back to getting chapters up more regularly so keep an eye out because things are about to take a turn!

* * *

In the next chapter: Kim tracks down Shego in Tokyo and an epic confrontation follows… but everything may not be as it seems.


	5. Vignette One

Vignette One

Shego stood in the darkness of an ally near the hospital. Rain pounded down on the hood that covered her head. It formed droplets at the brim and dripped in front of her face. It was cold out but it didn't bother her, as a side effect of her plasma powers she was always warm. A grin cracked her black lips as she remembered the time Drakken had tried to hook her up to some kind of geothermal generator. Shego let out a breath and watched it crystallize into steam as it left her body. There was something about being able to see the natural process so many took for granted. However, she didn't let it distract her from the real reason she was out in the cold rain. A car parked on the curb, the engine still running. The windows were fogged up so she couldn't see inside, but she didn't have to. She knew who was in the car. Kim Possible had finally tracked her down. Shego didn't know how the little princess had found her but she knew Kim was coming long before her plane arrived at Haneda airport. The teen hero never really gave her enough credit. Shego considered firing off a plasma bolt at the car… destroying it and Kim before she could cause any trouble. However, Shego held back from taking drastic action. Though She thought is was safe to assume Kim was in Tokyo for her she had little proof other then the fact that she was staking out the hospital where Shego had been practically living for the past week. She wanted more information before making a move. So, instead she stood in the rain watching the watcher. What she had seen so far amused her. Kim had undergone quite a makeover. Her normally long red hair was now short and black. It had a dramatic affect on her looks… actually she almost fit in with the people of Tokyo. Shego wondered what would cause her to make such a change. Was she trying to be incognito or was she finally embracing her new identity? It shouldn't matter, Shego reminded herself, why should she care at all? But, for some reason she was at a loss to explain she did care. Her curiosity had been piqued and it begged to be satisfied. Actually she found the new look somewhat attractive.

Lights from passing cars lit up the interior of the car and Shego could see Kim's silhouette behind the wheel. Shego was tempted to walk over to the car, pull the passengers side door open and plop right into the seat next to her. Wouldn't that give the teen hero something to react to? Shego shook her head, she was no more likely to do that then she was to blast the car. Shego sighed a vaporous cloud into the night air. The rain had turned icy and was starting to stick to her. The sound of the engine in Kim's car shifted under an increased strain probably as a result of the heater being turned up. Shego back further into the ally keeping her eyes on the vehicle as long as possible. She didn't want to lose track of Kim, but she didn't have a play here and now. If Shego was right and Kim was here for her then their paths were destined to cross eventually and she could be patient. There were other things that demanded her attention, things that were more important. One thing in particular that she had already neglected so she could stand out in the rain. Shego admitted she didn't know the extent of Kim's reason for coming to Tokyo but she was sure Kim didn't have all the facts, that she didn't see the bigger picture. When they did finally meet up Shego decided she would… educate Kimmy on the things she would need to know… After all if her long time nemesis were really on some vendetta, as she suspected, then it would take a lot to convince her to abandon that mission. Shego needed Kim to abandon it… because the painful truth was… she needed Kim's help.

* * *

Author's Note:

In the last story I used a shifting perspective to show the plot from each character's point of view. This time I decided I wanted to stay with Kim because this story it a lot about her and the impact the events have on her. However, I thought it might be fun to have a few interludes to provide a break and give an alternate viewpoint. Let me know if you like it or hate it or what you think either way.


	6. Collision

Chapter Four

Collision

Kim sat behind the wheel of the rental car she had taken from the airport. She had parked about a block down the street from the hospital Shego had been seen frequenting. It was freezing in Japan this time of year, high temperatures barely climbed into the 20's most days. It was also raining and weather reports promised ice before the night was over. Kim kept the car running with the heater turned up. The windshield wipers thumping rhythmically back and forth like a metronome. Kim sat in the drivers seat holding her Kimmunicator. She was still going through the information she had downloaded from Write's computers. All together it was a lot more information then Kim had thought. She had already uncovered one major revelation. Write had sent Shego the information about Bonnie having powers. Kim didn't know how Write found out, but it seemed obvious he wanted Shego to go after Bonnie. The file also indicated that Write did not believe Shego was behind the bomb that killed the rest of the Rockwaller family. Kim set the Kimmunicator in her lap and stretched. She looked out toward the hospital. She had not seen Shego enter or exit and was hesitant to go in to look for her. Shego would know the layout better and would have a significant advantage. On the other hand Kim still didn't know why Shego had been coming to this hospital. Going in to investigate that was worth the potential risk. Besides her looks were so changed she might even be able to slip past Shego without being noticed. Kim put her Kimmunicator into her pocket and turned off the car's ignition.

Stepping out of the car she opened a black umbrella and headed for the Hospital entrance. Despite her disguise Kim felt eyes on her from every direction. She tried to ignore the sensation, it was just nerves. The Hospital entrance had two sets of automatic double doors with a small foyer in between. Just inside the first set of doors a dispenser stood with hand sanitizer and plastic bags for visitors to stow wet umbrellas. Kim took a bag and pumped some Sanitizer into her palm. She walked through the second set of door rubbing her hands together to distribute the sanitizer. Kitty-corner to the entrance was the information desk. There was a pair of young women sitting behind the desk. One was older Kim guessed early to mid 30's. The other was younger early twenties. Kim made her way to the younger of the two and put on her best smile. For a moment she wondered if her puppy dog pout would work across international boundaries. Drawing closer Kim could read the girl's nametag. Amaya it read in Japanese and English.

"Konbanwa." Kim said bowing slightly.

"Konbanwa…" Amaya bowed just a little lower. "You are American?" she asked in a thick accent.

"You know English?" Kim asked surprised.

"I am learning." Amaya answered. Kim saw an opening and decided to exploit it.

"Do you get many westerners in here?"

"Not… many…" Amaya paused and hesitated. Kim put her hands up a little.

"I was just curious…" Kim smiled which made Amaya smile back. This was good, Kim thought, if she could work a friendly rapport with this girl she might be able to get the information she needed. The Japanese girl brushed her hair back away from her face. She glanced over at the older woman who was busy helping another visitor. Amaya leaned forward and lowered her voice as if she were about to share a secret.

"I want to learn so I can go to America… for university."

Kim nodded. "I hope you are able to make it."

"Arigato." Amaya blushed slightly. "Can I help you?" She asked once she had regained her composure.

"I'm supposed to meet a friend here." Kim hoped she wasn't giving herself away, but she didn't want to ask Wade to hack the Hospital records, not after all the resistance he put up in Moscow. She also couldn't search the whole building room by room. The files she took from Write suggested Shego was using an alias that Kim found somewhat humorous.

"Her name is Miss. Green." Kim told Amaya.

"Ah yes, I have seen her here many times."

"Is she here now? Amaya bit her lip nervously before replying.

"She is on the fourth floor." She pointed toward the elevators behind the information desk.

"Thank you Amaya." Kim bowed again. "Arigato."

Kim made her way to the elevators hoping that whatever happened Amaya wouldn't get into trouble for helping her. Once in an elevator Kim pushed the button for the fourth floor. She decided that it would be best to look for some kind of sitting or common room and wait there for Shego. The elevator stopped on the third floor. Kim prepared to make room for whoever was getting on. The doors slid apart leaving Kim face to face with Shego. For just a moment the two women just stood there each stunned by the sudden revelation. Shego recovered more quickly and rushed at Kim. She pushed her against the back wall of the elevator and pressed her hand over Kim's mouth. Shego kicked at the control panel hitting one of the higher numbers. This put Shego off balance for a moment and Kim used it to break her hold and push back against the doors. The elevator began to rise as Kim pinned Shego's arms to her sides.

"What took you so long Princess?" Shego quipped without the least bit of anger. In fact she sounded amused.

"You were expecting me?" Kim laced the question with a good amount of sarcasm.

"Well not right at that moment." Shego said. "But, I was wondering how long you were going to stay in that crappy rental car out front." This took Kim off guard. Shego had made her while she was staking out the hospital. But, why hadn't she attacked while she had the advantage? What was going on here? Shego suddenly bent her leg bringing it up between them and kicked Kim backward. The Elevator reached its destination, the chime sounded but before the doors could open Shego flipped the emergency cutoff switch knocking out the power. The lights went out and Kim lunged for Shego in the dark. She dove through empty air and the emergency lights snapped on in time to see Shego had moved out of the way and Kim hit the doors headfirst. The elevator car shuddered from the impact. Before she could recover Shego was on her from behind pinning her arms down.

"I don't want to fight." Shego hissed in Kim's ear.

"Since when?" Kim snapped. She swung her legs up and kicked off the side of the elevator pushing Shego into the opposite wall. Shego grunted from the impact but she took the brunt of the blow on her shoulders rather then her head. Her hold on Kim didn't let up.

"Stop it!" Shego's tone was firm and utterly serious. This wasn't the usual playful, sassy Shego that Kim was used to. Her forcefulness was enough to give Kim a moment of pause.

"I know why you're here." Kim felt the muscles in her neck tighten, feeling Shego's breath against her skin. An involuntary shudder ran down her spine.

"Do you?" Kim asked trying to figure out a way to break Shego's hold.

"I didn't do it Kim…" Kim blinked… Shego almost never called her by her given name. It was just one more thing that didn't fit in this whole mess.

"Didn't do what?" Kim asked.

Shego sighed. "I didn't hurt Monique." Hearing Shego speak Monique's name sent Kim over the edge and she began to kick and thrash against her.

"Your lying, I know it was you!" Kim drove her heal down on Shego's ankle. Shego swore and her grip slacked. Kim broke free and spun around to face Shego, her hands up in a fighting stance. Shego was bent over inspecting the injury to her ankle.

"I'm not lying." Shego flexed and rotated her foot. Satisfied that no damage had been done Shego straitened up again.

"I can prove it." Shego said. Kim hesitated. Her mind screamed at her to attack. Her gut counseled her not too. Without letting her guard down Kim narrowed her eyes studying Shego.

"Show me this proof." Kim said emphasizing the last word to indicate her suspicion. Without a word Shego flipped the switch reactivating the elevator and pressed for the fourth floor. Neither woman spoke during the descent. Inside Kim was seething. She had come all this way to get Shego and now the woman was standing 3 feet away. Yet for all her fury Kim couldn't deny that something just didn't feel right. She had been running on instinct this whole time and now her instinct told her that Shego was being truthful. She didn't want to believe it, but she couldn't ignore it either. So, she would give Shego a chance… one chance… to prove her innocence.

When the doors opened again Shego led Kim down a hallway to a room.

"Here's your proof." She said opening the door. Inside the hospital room, hooked to machines, unconscious, laid Bonnie.

* * *

In the next Chapter:

Shego tells Kim what's happened since she and Bonnie escaped form GJ. When it all comes out it seems both hero and villain may have a common enemy.


	7. Bait and Switch

Chapter 5

Bait and Switch

Kim stood in the doorway unable to move, unable to speak. All she could do is blink repeatedly as if doing so would clear the image before her. Bonnie looked about as bad, or perhaps worse, then Monique had after her attack. Shego pushed past her into the room and took up a post next to the bed.

"She was awake before." Shego reached out to take Bonnie's hand. "But, she started to develop swelling in her brain and they put her into a chemically induce coma until it goes down. Kim slowly moved into the room toward the bed.

Kim found her voice. "What happened?" Shego broke her gaze from Bonnie and Kim felt it fall heavily on her.

"After we escaped we hopped through Europe and Asia looking for a place to bunker down for a while." Shego let go of Bonnie's hand and turned to fully face Kim.

"We ended up here in Tokyo… Bonnie said she liked it here so we stayed. One day I went out for food and supplies and when I got back I found our place broken into and Bonnie had been beaten half dead."

Kim watched Shego the entire time. She had made a career of watching people. Listening to them. Something about Shego's story rang true and for better or worse Kim believed her. That didn't mean she was ready to trust her yet.

"I'm sorry but how does this prove you didn't attack Monique?" Kim asked in as gentle a voice as she could muster.

"You can't tell me you believe all this is a coincidence or some kind of karmic retribution. Someone attacked both our partners, same method same MO…" Shego paused. "We've got a common enemy."

"But who attacked Bonnie and Monique and why?" Kim asked. Shego smiled. It was her old condescending sarcastic smile she used to use when she sprang one of Drakken's traps. The smile that indicated she knew more then Kim did or at least thought she did.

"You haven't figured that one out yet Princess?"

"Why don't you explain it?" Kim folded her arms in front of her.

"What if I told you whoever assaulted Bonnie also stole her powers?" Shego replied tossing the new information out like one might throw a pork chop to a lion. The information bounced around her mind for a moment startling and confusing her. Then it settled into place and a new picture formed.

"If they were after her powers…" Kim muttered. "They knew you would eventually go after them." Shego merely nodded, seemingly waiting to see if Kim could put the rest of it together.

"They attacked Monique knowing I would think it was you since you abducted her before. They planned on me setting out on a vendetta against you. They wanted us distracted fighting each other." Kim looked at Shego who silently mimed clapping her hands.

"Very good Kimmy." Shego nodded. Kim didn't even bother with Shego's condescension. Her mind was too busy processing this sudden turn of events. The whole thing had been a set up. She had been dancing to someone else's tune and didn't even know it. Kim took a deep breath and reordered her thoughts. Shego was not her immediate enemy. In fact she was closer to an ally at the moment. Once her thought process was realigned new questions emerged.

"How would someone steal Bonnie's powers?"

Shego shrugged. "There is one other time I can remember when someone was stealing powers to transfer to someone else." Shego looked Kim directly in the eyes. Kim was struck with the memory. An old nemesis of Team Go once tried to steal each of the team's powers to exact revenge. Kim had tried to stop one such attempt and temporarily wound up with Hego's supper strength.

"Aviarius!" Kim said. "He had some kind of scepter with a huge jewel on top that he used to steal powers."

"That's right, but before you get too excited you should know he's still locked up in prison." Shego said.

"So who could be doing this? We smashed his scepter when he was arrested." Kim asked.

"You may also remember Aviarius liked to talk a lot… it's possible someone got him to tell them how to make another scepter."

That made sense, though it was only a theory.

"We need to talk to Aviarius to find out." Kim said.

"We?" Shego chuckled. "I'm an internationally wanted terrorist I can't just stroll into prison and expect to walk out again." The final missing piece clicked. The reason Shego had not attacked her. The villainess could have easily overpowered her in the elevator if she had used her plasma. But, instead she called a truce, brought her in here to see Bonnie and explained everything. All this was because she needed Kim to go to the prison to talk to Aviarius.

"You need my help." Kim said as the revelation formed in her mind.

"Not exactly…" Shego shook her head. "I'll get the information eventually, but you have a stake in this so I'm offering you a part in it." Ordinarily Shego's condescension would have made her angry. She should have been angry, but instead Kim found herself laughing. Shego stared at her obviously not expecting that reaction.

"You're not very good at asking for help, are you?" Kim asked. Though she meant it as something of a rhetorical jab Shego didn't take it as one.

Shego chuckled. "No… I'm not." The moment of levity passed quickly and Kim was left with an uncomfortable dilemma. Shego was still a wanted fugitive, responsible for a lot of deaths. Not to mention abducting and using Bonnie. By rights Kim should turn her into the authorities. But, Kim hadn't been chasing Shego down for the sake of the law… Now there was a different enemy to chase and she would need Shego's help just as Shego needed hers. It wouldn't be the first time she had fought on the same side as Shego to defeat a greater threat. Hell, they had even spent a Christmas together when Ron and Drakken had declared a holiday truce. Kim took a step forward.

"Alright Shego… I'll work with you for now… but I still don't exactly trust you."

"You wouldn't want to disappoint me now."

Kim almost smiled. How could things have changed so much in such a short amount of time? Just an hour ago she had been ready to beat Shego into a bloody mess and drag her back to the states. Now she was partnering with her. She wondered how long it would take for this truce to fall apart. Further more what would happen when it did? If they were successful, if they found the people who hurt Monique and Bonnie, what would happen then? It might engender a sense of good will that would sate any aggressive retribution… temporarily anyway. But, it would also mean letting Shego walk away freely which wouldn't go over well with the authorities. Kim couldn't help wondering if she would regret working with Shego. Kim pushed the unanswerable questions out of her mind and focused on a more immediate one.

"Is Aviarius still being held in Go City?"

"No, he was recently transferred to the super max wing of Arkham Asylum in Gotham City."

"He's in Arkham?" Kim's eyes widened.

Shego nodded. "Now you understand why I can't go."

"Alright Shego, I'll go to Gotham and meet with Aviarius, but we need a place to meet up afterward." Kim said.

"What's wrong with coming back here?" Shego asked. Kim sighed. "I'm not exactly on friendly terms with the new director at GJ… As soon as I get back into the US they'll be watching me and I don't want to lead them back to you." Kim explained.

Shego placed a hand to her chest. "I'm touched by your concern." Shego said with mock sincerity.

"In that case…" Shego held out her hand. Kim looked at her unsure of what she wanted.

"Give me that thing that let's you talk to nerd boy." Shego clarified. Kim hesitantly complied handing over the Kimmunicator. Wade's image blinked on the screen.

"Kim do you know what time it is…" Wade broke off. "Shego what have you done to Kim?" He demanded.

"Calm down boy genius she's right here." Shego said. Kim came alongside Shego so Wade could see her.

"Kim, what's going on?" Wade looked angry.

"Shego didn't attack Monique…" Kim explained. "Whoever did also attacked Bonnie and stole her powers. We think whoever is behind this was trying to get me and Shego to take each other out." Kim took a breath. It all made sense in her mind, but as she explained it to Wade she had to admit it sounded insane.

"The reason we're calling is we need you to falsify some flight records for us." Shego said trying to get back on topic.

"You want me to what?" Wade folded his arms.

"We need you to make it look like Kim and I are headed to places other then where we really are going."

"And why would I do that?" Wade asked.

"Do it for Kim, or Monique or her…" Shego tilted the Kimmunicator so Wade could see Bonnie.

"Whatever will help you sleep at night." Shego said. There was a long pause and then Wade sighed.

"Okay… where do you want me to send you?"

* * *

In the Next Chapter:

Kim meets with Aviarius hoping he has the information she is after… but she may already be in over her head.


	8. The Rule of Madness

Authors Note: Gotham City and Arkham asylum belong to DC comics… I am just referencing them for the fun of it. This is not a crossover per se I just like the idea of different fictional worlds existing together.

* * *

Chapter 6

The Rule of Madness

With Wade's help both Kim and Shego managed to get back into the United States. Kim flew into Gotham while Shego flew into a county airport in Connecticut. From there she planed to cross into upstate New York where she would wait at a safe house. Wades falsified records made it look like Kim had chased Shego to Brazil. Kim used public transit from the airport and walked the last few blocks to the Asylum. Wade had confirmed that Aviarius was being held in the super max wing. That meant he wasn't allowed normal visitors but according to Wade some exceptions had been made already. One name in particular showed up several times a man named Terence Donahue. Wade had not been able to find any information on Donahue but he was still had him add her Aramov alias to the list of exceptions so she could get in to see Aviarius.

Kim wasn't exactly looking forward to seeing him. She feared he would recognize her even though they only had one brief encounter years ago. She was also unsure she could get him to cooperate. To be successful the person wanting information usually needed some kind of leverage to negotiate with. Tit for tat favor for a favor. But, Kim didn't have anything to offer Aviarius, nothing to encourage his cooperation. The only thing she had going for her was his ego. Aviarius liked to talk about himself. He liked to brag. Shego seemed to believe if Kim could get him in good enough spirits she could "trick" him into telling her what she wanted to know. Shego gave her more information on the man and made some pointed suggestions. More than once Kim got the impression Shego wished she could do this herself. Handing the job to Kim was something of a concession.

Kim stood in the observation room looking through the two-way mirror into the meeting room on the other side. The door into the meeting room opened and Aviarius entered escorted by guards on either side of him. They sat Aviarius in one of the chairs and shackled his manacles to the ring in the table. Then the guards retreated to the back wall. Kim turned to the supervisor who stood next to her. The name Oliver was stenciled on his breast pocket.

"I want those guards to clear the room." Kim said. Oliver opened his mouth to speak, but Kim didn't let him.

"I also want you to turn off your surveillance and recording devices." Kim stared the man down. Wade had told her the title he gave her alias so she would have the clearance she needed. She didn't remember exactly what he said, but she hoped it would be enough to back up giving orders as well. Oliver closed his eyes.

"Turn it all off." He told the audio technician in the room. Then he triggered the intercom for the meeting room.

"Wait outside." The guards exchanged a glance and then left the room. He didn't turn back to acknowledge Kim. Internally she felt a pang of guilt. She had pulled rank and compromised his authority in the process. She felt bad about it but, it couldn't be helped. She didn't want anyone to overhear her conversation with the dark master of the winged world. First of all if he did remember her and call her by name, it would blow her cover. Even if he did not, to the uninitiated, the subject of her questions could sound crazy enough to have her committed too.

Kim watched Aviarius from behind the glass. He seemed to have aged considerably since she last saw him. His skin was wrinkled and speckled and his eyes had sunken in. He sat hunched forward and a noticeable hump had formed on his back. The overhead lights cast shadows on his face and reflected lightly off his irises. From the darkness where his eyes should have been Kim could only see two pinpoints of light. Aviarius stared straight ahead motionless. Kim knew it was impossible but she almost felt he could see her through the glass. Even so she felt unsettled by the man. Kim took a deep breath and tried to tell herself it was just nerves. She regained her composure and spoke to Oliver again.

"When I said I wanted your men to clear the room I meant this one too." Kim turned to leave when she heard him say.

"You've got ten minutes." Kim turned back to look at him. He was glowering at her and she decided she had pushed her luck enough. She gave a slight nod of her head and continued out of the room.

The door to the meeting room stood at the rear. When Kim came into the room she was facing Aviarius' back. He didn't immediately react to her entrance and for a moment Kim wondered if he had lost his hearing. But, when she didn't advance into the room Aviarius slowly turned toward her. His head seemed to twist too far around adding yet another creepy element to his growing repertoire.

"Ah..." His high-pitched voice hissed. "Kim Possible..." He did remember her. Kim suddenly felt better about being harsh with the guards and their Supervisor. Keeping this meeting privet had been the right decision.

"I'm surprised you remember me." Kim replied. It was true, though she had taken precautions until now part of her felt she was being paranoid. She believed the chance of Aviarius remembering her was actually rather slim. The truth turned out to be somewhat different. Not only did he recognize her, it seemed he was expecting her.

"Don't flatter yourself... I wouldn't have except that he told me you might come."

Kim walked to the table and stood across Aviarius.

"Who told you I might come?" Kim asked her eyes narrowed into slits.

"He said you'd ask that too." Aviarius purred. He seemed almost bored.

"Who?" Kim said more forceful.

"You no doubt have the list of everyone who has visited me... You should be able to figure it out without my help." Aviarius shrugged his sagging shoulders. Kim got the feeling she was being toyed with.

"Actually I'm more interested in power transference." Kim said flatly.

"No you're not…" Aviarius replied. "You're interested in satisfying some miss guided sense of vengeance." Kim's hands drew into fists. She was being toyed with. Like a rat made to run a maze it had no hope of solving.

"Did 'he' tell you that too?" Kim didn't phrase is like a question. She already knew the answer.

"It doesn't matter… you'll never find what you're seeking." Aviarius said.

"Don't count me out just yet." Kim allowed herself a half-cocked smile.

"I have the highest respect for your abilities, but you're playing a game you can't win… you can't win because there is something you don't understand." Kim leaned over the table. "…And what is that?"

Aviarius leaned toward her bringing his face within inches of hers.

"You don't understand madness… you may think you do but you don't really and you can never defeat something you don't understand." Kim's smile widened. Aviarius was a competent villain but he was a bad actor. He was reciting a script someone had given him. He was a player in the game just as she was. He didn't have any information beyond what he had been told to share with her. She wanted to tell him that… to let him know he had failed. However, the problem was she needed him to believe he had succeeded. Rather she needed whoever was behind this to believe he had. So, instead she decided to play her roll and perhaps she could get enough from this to go on the offensive for once.

"Do you understand madness?" Aviarius gestured to the room around them.

"I am in an Asylum for the criminally insane…"

"How many crazy people end up here who don't understand their own madness?" Kim asked. Aviarius smiled sitting back in his seat and let out a cackle.

"You're a quick learner Miss Possible… though you're missing an important distinction. There is a difference between your garden variety crazy who shoots up an office and someone who is truly mad…"

"Which are you… crazy or mad?" Kim asked in an attempt to be cheeky. Aviarius chuckled still grinning like a coyote. He slowly licked his lips.

"The real question… Miss Possible… is which are you? When you find the answer to that… you'll have everything you need." Aviarius' statement lingered in the air for a moment then the door opened and Oliver appeared.

"Time's up Sweetheart…" Oliver said. Kim didn't take her eyes off Aviarius. She wanted to demand more time, but she knew she wouldn't get it. Things being what they were she just wanted to get out of there. Oliver made sure to send an escort to accompany her, right up to the exit. As she waited for a cab Kim tried to figure out what she would tell Shego. Their plan, more desperate than anything else, had gone up in smoke. Aviarius didn't have any answers… just another turn in the maze. The cab had just pulled up when her Kimmunicator chirped inside her pocket. It was her phone ringtone, which meant it wasn't Wade. She looked at the display to find the caller ID blocked.

Kim raised the Kimmunicator to her ear and answered the call.

"Kim…?" She recognized the voice immediately. It was special agent Cora Rose Morgan of Global Justice. Cora had been a major help in fending off the attack Shego and Bonnie launched on GJ headquarters. She had torn her ACL in the process and should still have been on medical leave. Why would she be calling? This and a thousand other questions ran through Kim's mind before Cora spoke again.

"Kim… what the hell do you think you're doing?"

* * *

In the next chapter:

Information comes to light that sends Kim and Shego in a new direction with deadly consequences.


	9. The Hunter and the Hunted

Chapter 7

The Hunter and the Hunted

"Kim… what the hell do you think you're doing?" Cora said. She didn't sound angry so much as concerned, but it still caught Kim off guard.

"Cora?" Her confusion must have come through because Cora picked up on it.

"I've been keeping an eye on you."

"You've been what?" Kim asked as shock gave way to anger and a vague sense of betrayal. There was a moment of silence on the other end before Cora spoke again. "I was put in charge of your surveillance."

"I thought you were still on medical leave." Kim looked around looking for signs she was being followed. The taxi driver honked at her already impatient. Kim looked around once more and ducked into the taxi.

"I'm far from field ready status, but Lindsay asked me to coordinate the agencies surveillance on you."

Kim pulled the Kimmunicator from her ear and told the driver to take her to the airport. Then turning back to the Kimmunicator she said to Cora.

"Lindsay wanted you to watch me?"

"I think he still believes we don't get along."

Kim smiled remembering their first meeting. They had butted heads to say the least. That changed after Shego and Bonnie attacked GJ headquarters. A sort of foxhole bond formed between them as they worked together to thwart the siege. Now they considered themselves friends, which was why Kim felt let down at finding out Cora had been keeping tabs on her. The cab rolled forward as rain fell pounding the roof.

"Kim…" Cora said. "Wouldn't you rather have a friend in this position as opposed to someone who really did hate you?"

"So you're actually trying to help me by spying on me?" Kim snapped. She didn't really mean to be so antagonistic. It just came out on its own and that scared her.

"I know you've been with Shego and I know you just snuck into Arkham Asylum using an alias and I haven't reported any of it." Now Cora sounded angry. Kim didn't blame her. There had been a breach of trust but it was Kim who had done the trespassing.

"Cora, I'm sorry…" She tried to apologize.

"Tell you what… you tell me the truth about what you've been doing and we'll forget it."

"Will you report any of what I tell you?" Kim asked. There was another longer silence.

"I'll keep anything you say between us… but, the intel I've collected I have to turn in eventually." Cora replied. Kim sighed. She couldn't really expect more. Cora was already taking enough risks.

"Okay…" Kim said. "I went after Shego because I thought she attacked Monique… but she didn't. I went to Arkham to try to find out who did." Kim decided on the short version.

"You're working with Shego…" Cora tried to sound calm but Kim knew she wasn't.

"Bonnie was attacked too… same MO… and we need each other's help to find out who did it." Kim knew it was crazy. She wouldn't try to convince Cora otherwise. Kim just hoped she would see the method in the madness.

"When Lindsay finds out he's going to come after you in full force." Cora told her.

Kim didn't feel there was much she could say.

"I know." Silence settled on the line and for a moment Kim thought Cora might have hung up.

"I'll delay filing my report as long as I can… buy you some time." Cora said at last. Kim let out a breath she had been holding.

"Thank you…" Kim hesitated. "Can I ask for one more favor?"

"I should say no… but… ask."

"Arkham's records show Aviarius has had regular visits from a man named Terence Donahue. Wade says he's a writer working on a memoir but the whole thing doesn't sit right with me. Could you look into him for me? " Kim said.

"Alright I'll look him up and get back to you…" Cora replied.

"Cora… thanks…" Kim started but Cora interrupted.

"Don't thank me yet." She paused. "Just come back in one piece."With that the line went dead.

Cora's last statement stuck with her. Wade had told her a lot of people wanted to see her come home. She had assumed he meant Monique and her family but it seemed, there were others who cared about her too. Others who were concerned about where she was and what she was doing. Was she letting them down by pursuing this? Should she have just stayed in the hospital with Monique and let GJ chase it down like Wade had suggested? Kim swore under her breath. She had to stop all her self-doubt and second-guessing… for better or worse she was committed to this course and she was far beyond the point of no return. Kim sighed and tried to decide what she was going to tell Shego.

* * *

A ball of green plasma crackled past Kim's head. The superheated air popped in its wake sounding something like a string of firecrackers. The plasma struck the LED TV and melted a hole through its center. The bolt was not aimed at Kim. Shego threw it out of frustration. Kim glanced at the smoking remains of the television.

She had made it to the safe house a couple of hours before, her mind set on a hot shower and a change of clothes. Shego pounced on her as soon as she had come through the door, throwing questions like plasma bolts. She wanted to know what happened in her meeting with Aviarius. Ignoring Shego so she could take care of her "personal comforts" had already put her in a bad mood. Finding out the whole thing had been a set up pushed her over the edge.

"Do you feel better now that you've killed the TV?" Kim said turning back to face Shego.

"You should have done what I told you!" Shego repeated for the fifth time.

"The plan wouldn't have worked…" Kim countered. "Someone is playing us."

"I know that!" Shego snapped and started to pace. Then she started mumbling under her breath apparently trying work through the problem.

The Kimmunicator beeped her phone ringtone.

"Cora?" Kim answered.

"I've got the information you asked for." Cora answered. "Terence Donahue is an alias… I can't find any official records on him and the publishing company he supposedly works for is a front."

Kim closed her eyes. She had been expecting this, maybe even hoping for it. She wasn't happy about the deception, but at least now they might have something to go on.

"A front for what?" Kim asked.

Cora answered. "Don't know… yet."

"Thank you for your help."

"I've got one more thing for you… but if anyone asks you didn't get this from me." Cora paused and Kim could hear her typing on a keyboard.

"GJ has been tracking the movement of some highly specialized components…"

"What kind of components?" Kim asked.

"When you mentioned Aviarius I did some digging in the agencies files. We did an analysis of what was left of his power transfer devise. The list of materials we're tracing were a match for the ones that turned up in our analysis." Cora said.

"Who was buying the materials?"

"I don't know… it looked like the materials were being purchased by a dozen different entities but I don't like it." Cora's voice was firm and grim. Kim thought she sounded frustrated. She might have wished she could do more, which would explain her breaking regulations to help. Once again Kim felt she was acting as someone else's proxy.

"You've done more than enough. Thank you Cora." Kim tried to reassure her but didn't know if it would do any good.

"Kim…" Cora lowered her voice. "Don't trust Shego." Kim glanced over at Shego who had stopped pacing and was staring at her.

"Do you still have my gun?" Cora asked. The service pistol Cora had given to her during the GJ attack. Kim hadn't used it and when she tried to return it Cora made her hang on to it. Kim had it tucked away in the luggage Shego had smuggled into the country.

"Yes…" Kim replied.

"Keep it on you, just in case."

"But…"

"Kim, do this for me… please." She sounded almost desperate. Kim had never heard her like this before. It was enough to set her nerves on end. Though she didn't know why Cora would be so insistent it wouldn't hurt to put her mind at ease. Besides she had carried it before and hadn't needed it.

"Alright, I promise." Kim said.

"Good… take care of yourself." Without a goodbye or a chance for Kim to reply Cora hung up. Kim slid the Kimmunicator back into her pocket still trying to figure out why Cora was acting the way she was. Shego stepped closer to her and waved her hand in front of Kim's face.

"Anybody home?" Shego said.

Kim blinked and looked at her. "Sorry, lost in thought."

"Who were you talking to?"

"A friend… I've got information. The guy visiting Aviarius isn't writing a book. The whole thing is bogus. At the same time he was meeting with Aviarius someone was buying up tech to build a new power transfer device." Kim tried to avoid saying anything that would tip Shego off to her source.

"I have a 'friend' too." Shego said casting a sideways glance at Kim. The way she said "friend" made Kim think Shego already knew where she'd gotten the information. Kim mentally kicked herself. The very fact that she tried to hide it had been enough to tip Shego. Kim considered just coming clean but decided against it. Shego continued to stair at her expectantly. When Kim didn't say anything Shego continued.

"He could tell us where those parts came from and where they were going." Shego headed for her own phone to make a call.

Kim left her and retreated to her room. All of her bags were laid out on her bed. She pulled one of the duffels toward herself and rummaged through it eventually finding Cora's gun. Kim ejected the magazine and checked it to make sure it was still fully loaded. Then she returned it to the gun but did not chamber a round. If it made Cora feel better, Kim decided she would carry the weapon, but she still had no intention of using it. After checking to make sure the safety was on Kim slid the pistol inside the hem of her pants in the back and pulled her shirttail to cover it. Kim pulled another bag over and began going through the gadgets and devices Wade had given her before she left for Moscow.

"We've got a time and place for a meeting with my contact." Shego said from the door.

"Good." Kim nodded.

"It's not for a few hours so you may want to get some rest." Shego offered. Kim looked over at her.

"Concerned for my well being?" Kim said with mock sincerity.

Shego scoffed. "We're a team now and I don't want to get killed because you're not at your best." With that Shego sulked off toward her own bedroom. The violence and the sarcasm were still there, but at the same time Kim thought she was dealing with a different Shego then the one she had been fighting over the last number of years. Similar to Shego's time as Ms. Go Kim found she liked the change.

* * *

In the Next Chapter:

Kim and Shego go to meet a contact who may be able to help them. However, when the meeting becomes a matter of life and death Kim may have to cross one of her firmest rules.

* * *

Author's note:

I know this chapter is late so to make up for it I should have chapter 8 posted by the end of the weekend.

Also because of the violence and subject matter of the following chapters I will be upping the rating to an M just to be safe.


	10. Crossing the Line

Chapter Eight

Crossing the Line

It was eight hours later they were on their way to meet Shego's contact. He had sent them the address of a defunct privet airstrip almost 100 miles from their safe house. Shego drove them in a small two-door coupe. Kim looked out the window. It seemed the rain had followed her up from the city as it was pouring outside.

"You're awfully quite." Shego spoke.

"Got a lot on my mind." Kim replied.

"Care to share?"

"Not really." Kim closed her eyes and rested her head against the glass. Recent events had left her stomach twisted in knots. Wade and Cora were overly concerned with her safety and the enemy had so far been a step or two ahead of them. She wanted this whole thing to be over so she could go back home, move on. While part of her hoped meeting Shego's contact was the first real step in that direction she also couldn't shake a familiar sense of foreboding that had been a near constant companion lately.

"This should be the airstrip." Shego said turning off the main highway and onto a gravel access rode. They came to a chain link fence topped with razor wire. The gate hung open on one side, a chain and padlock dangled from the open latch.

"He must be here." Shego said. They continued a half a mile before they met pavement again and Shego drove toward one of the larger hangers. Out in front a car sat with its lights on and the driver's side window down. Shego pulled up behind the car. The silhouette of a man sat behind the wheel.

Shego put the car into park but left the engine running. She flashed the headlights twice. The figure in the other car didn't move.

"Did he fall asleep?" Shego muttered. She honked the car horn and flashed the lights again. Still the figure remained motionless. Shego pressed the release on her seat belt.

"Stay in the car." She said, her voice even and tight. Kim looked at her and could see she was tense. Shego got out and walked slowly toward the other car. She was constantly scanning her surroundings as if she were expecting a trap. When she made it to the car she paused looking through the driver's side window. Kim opened her door and got out despite Shego's instruction.

"What's wrong?" Kim called. Shego glanced at her for just a moment and then opened the car door. The figure inside slumped sideways out the open door. Even from where Kim stood she could see the blood stains in the man's hair and on his shirt. "Oh my god." Kim brought her hands to her mouth.

Shego turned toward her. "Get back in the car."

"But who did this? How did they even know we'd be here?" Kim asked.

"I said get in the fucking car!" Shego shouted. Kim was stunned by Shego's sudden intensity. She froze, unable to move. Shego started walking toward her still shouting but Kim couldn't hear her. What she did hear was the sound of gravel under tires and the whine of high performance mufflers. Suddenly Shego was back at their car climbing behind the wheel.

"Kim, get your ass in here…" Shego said. "They're coming." Kim got back into her seat and closed the door even as the car lurched forward. Shego swerved around the other car and pulled out onto the taxiway.

"Damn it." Shego repeated several times pounding the steering wheel. A pair of headlights appeared behind them and got closer fast.

"Who are they?" Kim looked back at the approaching vehicles.

"I don't know." Shego growled. Kim thought she could make out a figure stand from the sunroof of the lead vehicle.

"Shit, get down!" Shego yelled just before bullets tore through their car. Kim sank in her seat.

"Were you hit?" Shego asked.

"No… were you?"

"No, but we can't keep this up." Shego glanced at the rear view mirror. Another round of gunfire hit the car. Kim covered her head with her hands as bullets popped above her. Then she heard Shego scream out. Kim looked over at her and saw blood staining her right shoulder.

"Shego…" Kim started.

"It's just a graze, I'm fine." Shego turned the car from the taxiway onto the main runway and activated the cruise control.

"Kim, I need you to take the wheel." Shego said.

"Are you crazy?"

"I can use my powers to take those guys out, but then you need to drive!" Shego explained. Kim swore and hit the release on her seat belt.

"Okay… I'll go under you go over." Kim started to slide sideways. Shego rose out of her seat and lifted one leg over Kim momentarily straddling her.

"This is a position I never thought I'd find myself in." Kim heard herself say. She wasn't sure where such a comment had come from but told herself it was a stress reaction.

"Yeah well enjoy it while it lasts Princess." Shego retorted moving her other leg around Kim. They had successfully traded places but Kim was still sunken so far down that she couldn't really see where they were going. She tried to pull herself up into the drivers seat while Shego leaned out the passenger's window and shot plasma bolts at their pursuers. One of the bolts struck the lead vehicles grill. The blast destroyed the radiator, which sent an explosion of smoke and steam from under the hood. The car immediately began to lose speed.

"I got one!" Shego yelled. Then another burst of gunfire came blowing out their front right tire. Kim was unprepared for the sudden jerk in the wheel and pulled hard in the opposite direction. The car over corrected and went off the runway into the grass along side it. Shego ducked back inside just as the headlights caught the remains of a solar panel sticking out of the grass.

The breath caught in Kim's throat. There was no way to avoid it. The left side of the car went up the solar panel sending it onto its right side. The damaged front right wheel collapsed under the added stress and the car rolled over. Over and over it rolled back across the runway and into the grass on the other side. Kim felt herself being thrown about inside the car, felt glass fly across her body leaving cuts in their wake and at some point she felt everything go black.

* * *

When Kim came too she found herself being pulled by her shoulders. Someone was pulling her away from the car, which was smoking on its side. The roof was partially caved in and all the windows were broken. Kim struggled to look up and saw it was Shego who was pulling her. Shego had a cut across her right cheek and a lot of glass was tangled in her hair. Rain still fell turning the ground Kim and Shego were already soaked.

Shego set her down a few yards from the wreck. Kim looked down at her body to survey the damage. She had several superficial cuts and scrapes and dark welts were already starting to show in certain places. Though her entire body ached nothing felt broken. She could successfully move her limbs, fingers and toes. The most disconcerting discovery was the apparent loss of her belt and pants.

"Where are my pants?" Kim asked.

Shego coughed and spit a wad of phlegm and blood. "You were pinned in there, I had to pull you out of them." Shego coughed again.

Kim looked back at the car and had to wonder how either of them had survived the wreck. Her musings were cut off by the sound of slamming car doors and men's shouts.

"They're coming." Shego said. Kim looked back at her bare legs realizing all her gadgets and equipment were still in the car. Despite the situation Kim couldn't help but smile. She thought of all the times Ron lost his pants during a mission, now she knew what it felt like. Shego offered her a hand and helped her to stand. Kim winced as she tried to put weight on her left ankle. It wasn't broken but badly bruised.

"Are you going to be alright?" Shego said supporting her.

"I think so… but all my stuff is in the car."

"Not all of it." Shego held out Cora's gun. "It fell when I was trying to pull you free."

Kim took the weapon. The grip felt different against her palm, perhaps because she had never held a gun in a real life and death situation before. It had always been in the safety of a shooting range. It was harmless… fun even. Now the gun felt real on a new level. Dangerous and wrong but familiar and right at the same time.

"I know your stance against killing" Shego told her. "But you know we're not getting through this without a body count." Kim surveyed their situation again and was afraid to admit Shego might be right. Men were coming, men who unquestioningly wanted them dead. All her non-lethal equipment was out of reach and her bruised ankle would make it difficult to pull off any of her famous combat moves. Kim held up the gun and pulled the slide back, chambering a round. Then she flicked the weapons safety to off. Shego's hands erupted in green as she built up her plasma charges.

"Here we go…" Shego whispered as the first of the assassins rounded the back end of the car. Shego let loose two rounds of plasma the first struck the man in the chest. He screamed as his clothes caught fire. The second hit him full in the face. The impact knocked him backward and he collapsed falling silent as he hit the ground. Curses and yelling followed as more men came, two from the rear of the car one from the front. Shego shot plasma bolts at the two at the rear. Kim wheeled her pistol aiming at the other assassin.

For a moment she hesitated. Did she have to kill him? Maybe she could shoot him in the arm or legs to incapacitate him.

Kim thought back to her weapons training Dr. Director had made her go through. The subject of none-lethal force had come up early on. Dr. Director had set up target on the GJ shooting range for her to practice.

"Can't I just shoot him in the arm or something?" Kim had asked. Dr. Director had stared at her with her one eye.

"Why don't you try?" She said at last. Kim dawned her eye and ear protection and shot three rounds at the target. Dr. Director called her over to show her three clean misses in the paper.

"Now try it my way… aim for the biggest target, the chest." Kim went back to her firing position and did the same thing following the Director's advice. This time when Kim inspected the target she found two rounds had hit the target low in the pelvis the third was higher right in the center of the chest.

"Limbs are small and hard to hit with any degree of accuracy. Don't think of it as shooting to kill just aim for the biggest target." Dr. Director said.

Kim opened her eyes and took a breath. "Aim for the biggest target." Kim sighted her pistol at the man's chest and pulled the trigger. It was the first time she had shot a gun without eye and ear protection. The muzzle flash was blinding and the sound of the shot deafened her. As her vision cleared she could see the man go down. She didn't know where she had hit him but once he hit the ground he did not move again.

As her brain tried to process this Kim saw Shego fling a plasma bolt at another assassin. As at other times the impact of the plasma caused the man's clothes to catch fire. The assassin collapsed forward and the wet ground around him burst into flames. The gas tank must have ruptured during the crash creating a pool of petrol where the assassin had fallen. The fire quickly spread following a trail of gas seeping from the wrecked car.

Shego shouted. "Get down!" Kim didn't have time to react before what was left of the car exploded. The concussive force of the blast knocked Kim onto her back. Once again she was daze and her ears rang. She couldn't see Shego from where she was. Her body ached all over and she had trouble moving. Suddenly a man appeared over her holding an automatic rifle.

"You little bitches." He snarled raising his weapon. Time seemed to slow… Where was Shego? Why didn't Shego help? Then Kim remembered she was still holding Cora's gun. She made her best attempt to aim from her hip and fired a single round. The man's eyes went wide with shock. He dropped his weapon and his hands went to his neck. Blood shot from between his fingers and Kim felt it spray across her face. The assassin sank to his knees and slumped to his side. Everything was quite except for the fires burning nearby. Kim rolled on to her side. Her stomach clenched and she vomited into the grass. She tried to wipe some of the blood from her face with her shirtsleeve and then threw up again.

"You did good kid…" Shego's voice came from behind her. Kim didn't feel like she had done well, not at all. She felt miserable. Shego helped her up and supported her so they could walk back toward the runway. Kim tried to ignore the corpses as they passed. She didn't want to think about what just happened. What she had just done. She had crossed a line. Done something she swore never to do. She had taken the life of another human being. Self defense or not she was a killer and she always would be.

The strong smells of burning gas and charred flesh overwhelmed her and she vomited a third time. Shego held her while she retched and held her hair away from her face. Then she led her to the undamaged car the assassin's used. Shego helped her into a seat and buckled her in. Kim wondered why Shego was being so gentle with her. Why was she helping her when she could have just left her in the blood soaked mud. It was another thing she didn't want to think about. It was kind of nice and Kim worried questioning it might ruin it. Shego got behind the wheel and drove back toward the safe house.

* * *

In the next chapter:

Shego tries to help Kim deal with the aftermath of the fight with the assassins and in the process reveals new revelations about her own past.


	11. Vignette Two

Vignette number 2

Shego pealed off her jumpsuit and stuffed it into an orange bag with a biohazard symbol on the front. Her bra and panties followed. Anything they had been wearing would have to be disposed of. Standing in front of a full-length mirror Shego observed her naked body. The cuts and scrapes had scabbed over and she had placed gauze and tape over the graze on her shoulder. It wasn't bad but still stung a little. Shego glanced over at the closed bathroom door. The sounds of Kim's shower came through into the bedroom. The teen hero didn't seem to be coping well. She didn't say anything during the drive back to the safe house and Shego had to push Kim into the bathroom to take a shower. It wasn't that Shego was unsympathetic. Part of her didn't think Kim would actually shoot those men. She thought Kim would lock up and freeze standing on her sanctimonious bullshit like she had in the past. If anything Shego was impressed by Kim's actions. In a muzzle flash everything had changed. She and Kim had spilt blood together, fought together to achieve a common goal. They were now more alike then they had ever been.

Shego slipped into a new jumpsuit and began zipping it up when she heard a loud thud from the bathroom. Shego moved to the door and said. "Kim, are you alright?"

There was no answer. Shego called to Kim again but still only heard the sound of water running in the shower. Shego pushed on the door to find it locked, though she wasn't going to let that stop her. Shego used a plasma beam to slice between the door and the jam and then pushed the door open. Kim was curled in a ball in the corner of the shower. Soap and shampoo bottles were scattered around her. Kim's body shuddered either from cold or from the tears the streamed down her cheeks.

"Are you alright in here?" Shego asked.

"No…" Kim managed between sobs. Shego approached the shower and knelt next to it. Kim eyed her with unease and suspicion but didn't move away from her. Shego noticed Kim's hair had become a tangled mess, matted with dried blood. That was what made it click. Shego knew what Kim must have been going through killing for the first time. Facing the need to wash someone else's blood out of your hair would be enough to send anyone over the edge. Shego reached out, taking the bottle of shampoo she squeezed a quarter sized drop onto her palm. Kim watched her do this but did not react.

"Let me help." Shego said simply. Kim hesitated for a moment and then moved toward her giving Shego access to her head. Shego began to work the shampoo into her hair. More surprises, Shego thought. She wouldn't have expected Kim to be this receptive, but as long as she was Shego thought she could help some more.

"The first time is the hardest." Shego said. A long pause followed before Kim spoke.

"Was it for you?"

Shego nodded. "Yes."

"What happened?" It was a fair question. After a moments deliberation Shego decided to tell Kim the truth. The story no one really knew.

"It was a long time ago, back when I was still a member of Team Go." Shego began.

* * *

I was young and naive back then. I knew I liked fighting. I liked showing my strength and using it to beat bad guys. I hadn't considered just how much I was in love with my own power. I didn't think about using it for myself yet. But, there was someone out there who did. Early on we clashed with a villain calling himself Draco. He had powers that let him create and control fire, which made sense since he was a pyromaniac. Draco always wore a hood and a mask. My brothers pretended not to know who he was, but we all knew. To this day Hego and the others won't talk about it. Hell, it's been 15 years and I haven't really talked about it.

The day the commit struck… the day we got out powers there were six of us in the tree house. Me, my four brothers and Drake. He was our friend and we played together all the time. At first it didn't seem like Drake had gotten any powers. We never suspected he would hide it from us, but he did. He spent months training in secret all the while carrying on as our friend. The first time we faced Draco I knew it was Drake. I didn't call him out, looking back I wonder if I should have.

After that first meeting Draco showed a special interest in me. We started getting messages at Go Tower addressed to me. Draco would leave me clues about his next move. Taunt and bait me. It was like my brothers didn't matter to him. None of us could figure out why… until it was too late. The last time we faced him we used some hired muscle to attack an industrial complex. Guys with flamethrowers torching everything in sight. The rest of the team went to stop them, but I didn't. I didn't tell them about a note I had gotten from Draco. He wanted to meet me, alone. The goons with flamethrowers were just a distraction. I went, by myself and met with Draco.

He was waiting for me in an alley. No hood. No mask. He almost looked like Drake again.

"I'm surprised you actually came." Draco smiled.

"Knock it off, you knew I would." I said tired of his games.

He shrugged as if that fact didn't matter. "Still, I'm impressed."

"What do you want Draco?" I demanded crossing my arms in front of me. He looked me up and down, sizing me up, trying to decide how to answer.

"I want you to stop pretending to be a hero." He said at last. I was so unprepared for this that it took a while for me to realize what he had said.

"You think I'm pretending?" I shot at him.

"You are and it doesn't suit you."

"What are you…?"

"How are you sleeping?" Draco caught me off guard. "Do you lay awake at night? Do you wake up feeling pissed at the world? Like something's just wrong?" The questions hit me like bullets from a Gatling gun. I was stunned. How could he know those things about me? I hadn't told anyone including my brothers.

"It's because you're denying who you are." Draco didn't give me time to answer or even to recover. He just kept going adding insult to injury.

"How would you know anything about me?" I managed to blurt out. I sounded a lot less self-assured then I wanted and Draco laughed.

"Because, I've been watching you. Bumbling around with those inept dimwits you call brothers. You're on the wrong team Shego, surely you see that." Draco had the same speech impediment that other villains had… he didn't know when to shut up.

"You think I belong on your team?" I asked my anger fuelled by his arrogance. But his next answer was not what I was expecting.

"No… you should be on your own team." Draco replied. It wasn't the first time the thought had crossed my mind, to go off and do my own thing. Draco seemed to know that and it made me even angrier with him. How could he know all this and why was he using it to taunt me?

"You will never know your true strength until you stop using it for others." Draco may not have known it but that statement would stick in my mind for a long time. Actually looking back the bastard probably did know. He had planned everything including what happened next. He took a step toward me his arms out palms up.

"So…" He said. "What do you want?"

By this point I was almost shaking from anger. I was confused and questioning everything but it came out as pure rage.

Without thinking I said. "I want to kill you." I wasn't even sure if I meant it. Then Draco smiled, bowed a little and said. "As you wish."

Draco attacked me… suddenly and without warning. I know people say fighting angry makes you sloppy. It isn't always the case. My fury fueled me in that fight. Heightening my senses and reflexes. I felt stronger then I ever had before. Then Draco shot a fireball at me. I threw myself out of its path feeling fire and heat wash over my body as it just barely passed my head. The fireball hit a dumpster a few meters away, it exploded sending trash all over the alley. I could smell singed hair and looked to see a patch of smoking split ends.

That's when I realized that he was actually trying to kill me, and he almost succeeded. I was swept up in the moment and my body seemed to move on it's own, with a will that I didn't have to consciously consider. I'd like to tell you I don't remember what happened but I do. I remember every detail as vividly as the moment it happened.

Draco put both hands out in front of him and created a wall of fire that stretched from one wall of the alley to the other. Then the wall of flame came toward me. I held up my own hands and let out the biggest field of plasma I had ever generated. It punched a whole in the flame wall large enough to protect me. Draco didn't hesitate he built up another charge and shot a condensed lance of fire in my direction. I batted it away with a plasma bolt and it struck the wall of the alley leaving a deep scar about two meters long.

Draco sent out the lance again, but with more force. I couldn't deflect it again. I tried to duplicate what Draco was doing, concentrating by plasma into beam. The two collided with each other and the force of it nearly knocked me off my feet. I planted my back foot and pushed back against the force of Draco's beam. Draco had always been stronger but it seemed I had more stamina. His fire lance began to weaken and my plasma was overpowering it. I saw the strain on his face. He knew he was losing. I thought he was about to yield, but he didn't. Instead Draco suddenly extinguished his flame beam. The plasma cut through the dying flame and smoke and struck Draco with full force. I stopped as soon as I realized what had happened but it was already too late. Draco had a hole burned straight through his midsection. He looked at me and smiled as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"Perfect…" He rasped with the last breath that was in his lungs and collapsed to the ground.

* * *

Shego sat back on her heals. She had finished washing Kim's hair and had worked all the tangles out of it. Kim was silent, keeping her back to Shego after she finished her story. Shego wasn't sure if it was out of modesty or fear.

"It was an accident…" Kim finally spoke. "I mean you didn't mean to kill him."

Shego shook her head. "That's not the point. Draco meant for me to kill him, it was his plan from the start." Kim turned a little to look at her. She covered her breasts with her arms and kept her knees up.

"How do you know?" Kim asked.

"The way he just cut off his power like that. He knew what would happen. He wanted it."

"But, why would he do that?" Kim looked troubled by the concept. Shego was somewhat disappointed. She had expected Kim to understand this better.

"Draco believed there was something in me I was denying. He set up our fight to draw it out, to make me face it…" Shego paused. "…And he was right. When I realized I'd killed him there was this brief moment of exhilaration. It felt it and I didn't deny it to myself." Kim feel silent again, her eyes shifted back and forth as she considered all this.

"That's when you started turning evil?" Kim asked. Shego let out a frustrated sigh. Kim still wasn't getting it.

"It was when I made the choice to accept who I was… good or evil." She placed a hand on Kim's back. The younger woman tensed at her touch. "Now you have to make the same choice." Shego said and stood. Washing Kim's hair had soaked the front of her jumpsuit and she would have to change again. Besides she thought it best to leave Kim alone to think. Shego felt Kim's eyes on her as she exited the bathroom and closed the door. A voice in the back of her head chided her for being so gentle with Kim. This would have been the perfect opportunity to manipulate or take advantage of her. Only a year ago she would have. She had fantasized about it often enough. Bending the cheerleader to her will, turning her into a partner. However, she had learned something from Bonnie. Things often turned out better when she just let them play out on their own. She wanted to see what Kim would do and what she decided to become.

* * *

In the Next Chapter:

With all their leads gone Kim and Shego discuss their next course of action. The debate is rendered mute when Wade calls with new information that will change everything.


	12. Double Down

Chapter 9

Double Down

Kim watched Shego leave the bathroom and close the door behind her. A chill swept through her body. It was like Shego had taken all the warmth out of the room when she left. Kim slid back under the warm water and hugged her arms around her knee.

"Now you have to make the same choice." Shego had said. Kim still wasn't sure what Shego was talking about. She had said she had to choose to be herself. Unfortunately, Kim wasn't even sure who she was anymore. The Kim she knew didn't abandon her friends and wasn't a killer. If it was between the person she used to be and the one she had become she would wish to go back to who she was. But, part of her knew that was not possible. Maybe that was Shego's point. Kim could waste her time trying to reclaim a past self she could never be again. The other option would be to embrace her present self along with the sins she had committed. Kim wasn't sure what that would make her. Was she a hero or had she become the villain? What was the difference between them anyway?

Kim had always lived her life in black and white. Right and wrong had clear boundaries, as did who could be called good and bad. This was the first time those lines looked burry. White and black melted together into gray. The world spun around her as her moorings snapped, leaving her to float in a torrent of ambiguity. Kim felt dizzy, she closed her eyes and place a hand on the wall of the shower to steady herself.

"Hush…" She heard a comforting voice. It was Monique's voice.

"It's okay…" She heard Monique say. Kim opened her eyes. At first she didn't see anyone, but then Monique slowly came into focus. The image settled in front of her. She wasn't really there, Kim knew, but she didn't really care.

"Monique…" Kim felt tears gather and slip down her face. The image of Monique stretched out a hand and gently brushed a few locks of wet hair from Kim's face.

"It's okay Kim…"

"But… the things I've done…" Kim fumbled for the words. Monique smiled and shook her head.

"Doesn't matter." Monique leaned closer. "All that matters…"

Her hand caressed Kim's cheek and then dropped to her chest.

"Is what…" Monique pressed her fingers against her skin.

"Is inside here." A blinding light ignited beneath Monique's fingertips that filled the room. When it faded Monique was gone. Her fear and apprehension were gone as well. Monique was the reason she was doing this and she was worth it.

Kim rose to her feat and turned off the shower. She dressed and exited into the bedroom. Shego sat on the bed filing her claws. She glanced up for a moment as Kim came into the room.

"You seem better." Shego quipped.

"I am." Kim nodded.

"Good." Shego set down the nail file and stood. "What do we do now?"

"I don't know." Kim shrugged. "All our leads are gone."

"Then we need a new lead." Shego said each word slowly as if talking to a child. In reply a beeping sound came from one of Kim's bags. Kim searched through it and brought out her wrist Kimmunicator. It beeped again and the blue bubble on top pulsed signaling an incoming call. Kim strapped the Kimmunicator on and answered it. Wade's holographic image hovered over her wrist.

"Kim, where have you been? I've been trying to reach you for hours!" Wade said.

"I'm sorry, there was an accident… I lost my handheld."

"Are you alright?"

Kim paused. "More or less."

"I can get you a replacement Kimmunicator ASAP…" Wade typed at his console.

"Done, I can have it dropped to your GPS coordinates in no time."

"You rock hardcore…" Kim smiled.

"And I'm not even done…" Wade took a slight bow. "The reason I've been trying to reach you is that I finally cracked the encryption on Betty Shepard's files."

Kim blinked. "You got into the files?"

"I did and now I understand why she gave this to us and why it was so heavily encrypted." Wade took a deep breath and scanned the screens in front of him.

"Betty believes there is a mole inside GJ."

"You've got to be joking" Kim scoffed

"Nope, it's someone high up. She'd been secretly conducting an investigation to find out who." Wade explained.

"Why would she take that on by herself?" Kim asked.

"She was afraid any official inquiry would tip off the mole and she'd lose them. She had done a lot of digging and had narrowed it down to three agents." Wade pressed a series of keys and three dossiers appeared.

Bryce Holloway.

Head of cyber crimes division.

Age: 31

Hair: Blond

Eyes: Blue

Holloway has worked as head of the cyber crimes division for the past four years.

Jordan Hunter.

Chief of Operations.

Age: 29

Hair: Red

Eyes: Green

Hunter spent time undercover and then oversaw all of GJ's covert operations. For the past year she has been unofficially fulfilling many of the duties for operations chief, but was officially promoted to the post following the attack on GJ headquarters.

Lucas Lindsay.

Second in command…

Kim stopped reading. "Lindsay is on this list."

"I know." Wade said. "But, don't jump to conclusions. Any one of these three could be the mole." Shego had come closer and was reading the files over Kim's shoulder.

"At least it gives us something to work with." Shego said. At that Wade's image reappeared scowling at Shego.

"So, you're still working together?" He said apparently unhappy about it.

"Relax nerdlinger… we're all getting along here." Shego raised her hands in the air in mock surrender.

"What made Betty think there was a mole in the first place?" Shego asked. Wade took a moment to respond.

"Mostly problems with intelligence leaks and some compromised operations." Wade tabbed through some files and then brought one up on Kim's display.

"This is one of the top secret files that got leaked." It was an older file on another agent. A deep cover operative… Jo Ann Watts. There was a lot of information about her. Including a mention of "special skills". The file wasn't clear what that meant.

"What's this about Watts' special skills?" Kim said.

"There isn't much on that. A lot of her file is redacted… But, I think she had some kind of powers." Wade explained.

Kim went back to reading the file. Near the bottom it said Watts had resigned her position and left the agency. The last entry recorded her reentry into civilian life with a marriage to a young up and coming accountant. She then changed her name to Jo Ann Rockwaller.

"Oh my god…" Kim breathed. "Bonnie's mom was a spy."

* * *

Kim read the file again but the information didn't change. Kim had a hard time picturing the energetic bubbly woman she had known as Bonnie's mother as a covert agent and spy. Kim barely had time to process this before Shego dropped another bombshell.

"I've seen this file before."

Kim looked at her. "What?"

"I'd was looking for people with special powers. I went to a few different sources and I got this file from Jonathan Write." Shego said.

"Jonathan Write… Meshka mentioned him in Moscow… he owns the club I crashed looking for you." Kim turned to Shego.

"That's him… It was his intel that led me to Bonnie."

"Did you know it came from a mole inside GJ?" Kim asked.

"I had my suspicions but no proof." Shego replied.

Kim scoffed. "Don't you think that's something you should have told me?" Shego turned to face Kim.

"Why would I? I had no way of knowing it had anything to do with the attacks on Bonnie and Monique." Kim frowned, Shego was right and if their positions had been reversed she probably would have done the same thing. However, Kim wasn't ready to give up on this new information. While it was true that a mole inside GJ might have nothing to do with their present hunt there were too many coincidences to ignore. The intelligence in the leaked documents led Shego to Bonnie. Betty had sent her the files on her mole hunt before going to confront Shego in an attempt to save Monique and Yori. It wasn't much but as Shego had said it was more then they had before.

"So, we need to figure out which of these three people is the mole?" Kim said. "Who should we start with?"

Wade answered. "The one Betty had the least amount of information on was Holloway. She seemed to think he wasn't the mole, but she hadn't stopped investigating him."

"You think we should start with him?"

"If he is innocent it should be easy to clear him off the list." Wade said. Kim looked at Shego who nodded.

"Okay, thanks Wade." Kim said.

"One more thing before you go." Wade smiled. "Check outside your door." Kim raised an eyebrow but followed Wade's instructions. A couple of meters from the door a small rocket stuck out of the grass in the yard. As Kim approached it she could see her own KP logo stenciled on the rocket's fuselage. Next to the logo was a small keypad.

"Key in your login code." Wade said. Kim entered her code and the rocket split apart with a hiss. The rocket had only a small impact resistant chamber that carried a brand new Kimmunicator.

"Wow…" Kim said pulling it out from the rocket. Wade's image disappeared from her wrist and blinked onto the screen of the Kimmunicator.

"I work fast." Wade was still grinning.

"And you totally rock!" Kim smiled back and ended the call.

"Look's like nerd boy's got some new toys." Shego called from the doorway. Kim ignored her. She was already trying to figure out how they were going to investigate these GJ agents. They were not bound by the same limitations Betty had been, but they had no access to the inner workings of the agency either… unless. Kim considered the "unless" for a moment. She didn't like it, but wasn't sure there was another option. Kim walked back into the house and past Shego.

"I'm going to my room to make a call." Kim said over her shoulder.

Once in her room with the door shut Kim selected the number from her contact list. It rang twice before there was an answer at the other end.

"Kim… I'm not sure it's a good idea for us to keep talking." Cora said.

Kim brushed off the comment. "We've got a problem and I need your help."

"What do you mean 'we' have a problem?"

"I've got evidence that there's a mole inside GJ."

There was silence on the other end. Kim decided to keep going.

"I've got three suspects and I'm going to need your help…" Still there was no answer. Kim checked the display of the Kimmunicator to see if she'd been disconnected but found the line active.

"Cora?" Kim tried. No answer. "Cora?"

* * *

In the next chapter:

Kim and Shego search for a way to expose the mole, with help from some friends and at least one enemy.


	13. A Walk in the Park

Chapter 10

A Walk in the Park

"Cora?" Kim's imagination began to pull away from her reason. An image ran through her mind of GJ agents forcing their way into Cora's room. Tearing her from her workstation and arresting her.

"I can hear you." Cora said finally. Kim took a deep breath feeling a little better.

"You weren't answering."

"I just needed a minute… you did just tell me I've been working with a traitor." Cora sounded shaken in a way that was uncommon for her. Kim's mind went back to playing tricks on her. She thought about all the times Cora had acted strangely. How she had given them the information that led to the incident at the airstrip. What if Betty were wrong about her list of suspects… or what if there was more than one mole? Could Cora actually be working against them? Just a few hours ago Kim would have instantly rejected the idea. But, now they had evidence of a double agent inside the agency. Besides the incident at the airfield had made Kim a bit more paranoid.

"Now who's quiet? Something wrong?" Cora said.

"Oh no nothing." Kim lied.

"You said you have evidence… what is it and how did you get it?" Kim mulled the question over. It was fair and understandable. Then Kim kicked herself mentally. She couldn't analyze everything Cora said to see if it was suspicious. She had absolutely no evidence that Cora had anything to do with the mole… accept that Kim had dragged her into it. Still the nagging feeling of doubt wouldn't abate. Kim decided what she really needed was to see Cora in person, to look into her eyes while they talked. That would hopefully satisfy her discomfort.

"Betty Shepard sent it to me…" Kim paused. "It would be easier to go over this in person. Can we meet?" Kim said.

"I guess…" Kim could hear the confusion and perhaps a little suspicion in her voice.

"Do you know Brighton Gardens?" Cora asked. Kim did know it, it was a big park in Pennsylvania about half way between New York and Washington D.C. The strategic placement of the location Cora picked was a reminder that she had them under surveillance and likely knew where they were.

Kim said. "I know it."

"Meet me by the southern entrance around noon." Cora was typing something into a keyboard.

"That's near the carnival rides right?" Kim had only been to the Gardens once, Jim and Tim's 12th birthday. Their parents originally proposed going to Disney World but the twins had declared it "So 5th grade."

"That's the place…" Cora answered. "And Kim, come alone." Cora hung up.

Kim opened a web browser and looked up a map of Brighton Gardens. Kim wanted to know the layout of the grounds as well as where all the exits were. According to the site, the park was a little over 20,000 square meters from one side to the other. Kim scrunched her nose looking at the number. Whenever she got a new device from Wade she had to change some of the preferences. For some reason Wade liked everything to be in metric and though she had tried to learn both she still preferred Imperial. Kim brought up a converter and made the adjustment. The park covered about 50 acres, smaller then she remembered. Given that it was the off-season it would be hard to hide if something went wrong. Kim stopped to consider her thoughts for a moment. Was she really expecting something to go wrong? Had she become that paranoid?

The knock at the door came so suddenly and so loud that Kim jumped.

"You finished making calls Princess?" Shego's voice came through the door. Kim opened the door to see Shego leaning against the doorframe. Her legs were crossed at the ankle and she looked as if she were inspecting her hair for split ends. Kim felt an uncomfortable flutter in her stomach. There was an odd tension between them now, a kind of intimacy that wasn't yet fully realized in her mind. What were they now, allies, partners, friends… all the above? Kim still wasn't sure and that uncertainty was the source of the butterflies dancing in her stomach. She did however want to know how long Shego had been standing there.

"Were you spying on me?" Kim crossed her arms in front of her. Shego seemed to get bored with her hair and flipped it over her shoulder.

"I don't spy… I discreetly observe." Shego corrected with a playful smile. Kim rolled her eyes. Shego had always amused herself with semantics. It was another of the games she liked to play. Over the years Kim had responded by either calling her on her B.S. or by trying to beat her at her own game.

This time Kim decided to play along. "And how much of my conversation did you observe?"

"Pretty much all of it." Shego said.

"Then you know I'm going to this meet alone." Kim made sure to emphasize the last word. She expected and argument from Shego and was surprised when the villainess shrugged.

"Public parks aren't really my thing anyway." Shego pushed off the doorframe and made like she was about to walk away, but then stopped and caught Kim's gaze.

"Just be careful…" She said. "And watch your back." Then Shego disappeared into her own room and shut the door. Another display of concern from Shego. Kim's stomach twisted again. She had to find something to settle her unease before she developed an ulcer. Kim turned back to the map of the park and tried to memorize a couple of exit routes just in case. However, she had trouble focusing her mind on the task. It was probably needless anyway. No one would stage an attack in such a public place. At least that's what she told herself and at the time she truly believed it.

* * *

Brighton Gardens was a lot busier then Kim expected. It took her nearly half and hour driving up and down endless rows of cars before she found a decent parking space. Fortunately it was in the lot facing the southern entrance. As she approached the gates she could see a fares wheel and a rollercoaster loom above her. There was no fee to enter the park but after that nearly everything had some cost associated with it. Inside the entrance a line of ticket booths extended to her right leading to the rides. To the left a few concession stands huddled in a circle next to a hut that held unisex bathrooms. More or less directly ahead sat a fountain ringed by park benches and small potted trees. Kim looked around but did not see Cora. She made her way toward the fountain and sat on an empty bench to wait. Two children, a boy and a girl, ran up to the fountain. They leaned over the brick basin and each tossed a silver coin into the water.

"Betchya my wish comes true first!" The little girl taunted.

"Betchya it won't." The boy shot back. The girl splashed some water on the boy who started toward her. The girl shrieked and ran off calling for their mother while the boy chased after her. Kim smiled watching them run off. After all she had been through it was nice to see normalcy and innocents still existed in the world. Sadly the moment was over all too soon.

"Get up!" Kim wasn't aware of the person standing behind her until they spoke. Their voice was low and husky but utterly recognizable. Kim turned to see Special Agent Cora Rose Morgan behind her. She was in her late twenties her black hair was tucked inside a baseball cap. Her features only vaguely hinted at her mixed heritage. Kim had learned from talking to her that Cora's mother was Chinese and her Father was British. Cora had been raised in London and came to America to attend college. She still retained a rather heavy accent and occasionally used British slang. The older woman was wearing a black trench coat over a dark blue blouse and an ash gray knee length skirt. She wore a set of Rayband sunglasses and tried to look like she wasn't conversing directly with anyone.

"Cora…"

"Get up and move…" Cora grabbed her by the arm and forced her to her feet. She pushed Kim ahead of her and the two of them moved away from the southern entrance at a pretty good pace.

"What the hell is going on?" Kim asked.

"Just keep moving." Cora replied continuing to hold onto her arm.

"I thought we were supposed to be having a meeting." Kim hissed trying to wretch her arm free.

"Plans changed." Cora held her tight. A spike of fear shot through Kim. What if Cora really was dirty and was directing her into a trap? Kim finally managed to free her arm and stopped moving. Cora took two more paces before stopping.

"What's going on Cora?" Kim demanded. Cora scanned the crowd behind Kim before meeting her gaze.

"It's blown… all of it, we're in trouble." Cora said. Kim wasn't keeping up with her.

"What's blown? What are you talking about?"

Cora scanned the crowd again. "After we talked I did some digging to see if you were telling the truth. I hacked into Betty Shepard's personal files. When I broke through the firewall I triggered some kind of auto delete that wiped the database." Cora said.

"Betty must have set it up to protect the intelligence she was gathering." Kim offered the best explanation she could think of.

Cora shook her head. "I managed to copy a handful of files before everything got wiped out. One of the files was the program that launched the virus.

It contained a command authorization code…" Cora's voice dropped off as she looked past Kim again.

"The authorization code belonged to the mole…" Kim said. Cora grabbed her arm again.

"They're here." Cora said. Kim turned to see a pair of guys walking toward them. They were in civilian dress but there was no mistaking who they were. The way they carried themselves, the sunglasses, the earwigs and the slight bulge in their breast pockets were dead giveaways. They were GJ agents.

"What are they doing here?" Kim looked at Cora.

"They're here for us… Lindsay wants to bring us both in." Cora pushed Kim forward and they were moving again.

"Why… did you file that report?" Kim asked.

"Bugger the report… Don't you get it… Lindsay is the mole!"

* * *

Lindsay is the mole… the sentence reverberated in Kim's skull. The misogynistic little bastard who had been making her life miserable was actually a traitor. Suddenly Kim felt vindicated for everything she had thought or said about him.

"I'll explain more once we lose these guys and get out of here." Cora said pulling Kim sideways toward a bunch of vendor and carnival game stalls. Kim tried to recall what little of the layout she could remember. She couldn't recall any exits in the direction Cora was leading them, just a lot of vendors hocking over priced crap. Then she heard it, an antique sounding train whistle. That jogged her memory. There was a little train that went around the whole park. It was part ride, part transportation. They cleared the booths and stalls and could see the train as it began to pass. There was no stop at this particular spot, just a waist high iron fence that separated the walkway from the tracks.

"Keep going!" Cora said. Kim vaulted over the railing and Cora was right next to her. Together they jumped onto one of the little train cars as it passed. Hanging on to the side of the car Kim watched the pursuing agents change direction trying to run parallel with the fence. When it became obvious they couldn't keep pace with the train they each jumped the fence and managed to grab on to the very last train car. Once gaining their balance the pair began to move hand over hand up the train.

"Shite" Cora groused. "Come on… let's move." Kim followed Cora as they shimmied toward the front of the train in like fashion. Kim glanced over her shoulder toward the GJ agents.

"They're gaining!" Kim shouted to Cora who looked over at the agents. Cora swore again and looked to the track ahead. They were fast approaching the carnival rides. At one point the train went under the track of the rollercoaster. Cora tapped Kim on the shoulder and nodded away from the train.

"Fancy a jump?" Cora smiled.

"Not really…" Kim replied but smiled back. As they crossed beneath the rollercoaster track Cora shouted.

"Now!" Both women leapt off the side of the train. The groundcover beneath the track was gravel and Kim felt it tear at her skin like hundreds of tiny daggers.

"Aw… bugger." Cora rolled onto her back clutching her knee, the knee she had injured during the attack on GJ. Actually come to think of it Kim was amazed Cora was so active this soon. Not that it would matter if she had reinjured it now.

"Are you alright?" Kim called to her.

"No, I'm not bloody alright…" Cora rolled back onto her front and pushed herself into a kneeling position. "But, I can still move." Kim rose to her feet and helped Cora up.

"There they are!" One of the GJ agents shouted. Kim and Cora looked back at the train as the pair of agents prepared to follow them. The women looked at each other and then split apart as the agents jumped. They managed to stay on their feet as they landed and then split up. One headed for Cora, the other came toward Kim. He tried to make a grab for her hair, but she spun out of his reach. Kim tried to kick the agent's legs out from under him but he evaded jumping clear. He rebounded with a series of quick jabs that Kim easily blocked and deflected. Who did this guy think he was dealing with? Then she felt the ground beneath her tremble and felt a vibration behind her. He was trying to back her into one of the support struts. The rollercoaster screeched overhead and the agent made a move. He lunged forward in an attempt to pin her. Kim sidestepped and used his forward momentum to drive him head first into the support instead. The agent slumped to the ground unconscious.

Kim reached inside his sports coat and took his service pistol. The rollercoaster finished passing and the excited screams quickly faded with it. Kim turned to see Cora still fighting the other agent. He preformed I high sweeping kick that Cora attempted to duck under. She was mostly successful and the kick only made contact with her hat, knocking it off her head. Cora's black hair came lose and cascaded down to her shoulders. Coming out of the roundhouse the agent's stance fell open and Cora took advantage delivering a crippling kick of her own to the man's crotch. As he dropped Cora brought her good knee up connecting with his nose. Kim could hear the sickening crunch from where she stood and knew the agent's nose was broken. A gush of blood flew into the air as the agent fell onto his back. He moaned and uttered curses at Cora. When he tried to get up Cora kicked him in the gut. He doubled over coughing and tried to catch his breath.

"Just, stay down." Cora told him. As Kim approached Cora knelt down and took the agent's weapon.

"We should get out of here." Cora said. Kim nodded in agreement and followed her to the southern gate.

Outside the park Cora directed them in the direction she had parked. They had barely made it to the parking lot when a third agent rushed at them, his gun drawn.

"Freeze, both of you!" He shouted. "You're under arrest!" He reached for the zip ties on his belt when a red sedan plowed into him. The agent was flung onto the car's hood and then rolled off onto the asphalt. The driver's window rolled down and a familiar face looked out at them.

"You ladies need a ride?" Betty smiled.

* * *

In the next chapter:

A much needed meeting takes place to sort out details and to make a plan of attack.


	14. Ex-Good Guys

Author's Note: We're getting near the end here and with that in mind I am working on the next book in the series. However, I have a dilemma that I could use some feedback on. Would you rather see a couple of shorter books or one really long story that would be broken into different parts? Let me know and in the mean time enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

Chapter 11

Ex-Good Guys

Kim was tired and angry. Tired of feeling a step behind everyone else and angry because for two hours Betty and Cora hardly spoke a word to her. They had exchanged the standard pleasantries but as soon as she started in with some questions the two fell painfully silent. They told her their would be time to talk later… though didn't specify when or where later might be. For nearly all of the first hour Kim sulked in the back seat imagining different ways of forcing one of the women to talk. Her favorite involved wrapping a safety belt around Betty's neck and choking some answers out of her. But, she didn't follow through… after all she wasn't Shego. The second hour Kim used to process what she did know. She thought of it like a jigsaw puzzle arranging the pieces to see what kind of picture they made. By the time they reached their destination Kim had made several deductions. Despite what she said Kim believed Cora's first action after they spoke was to call Betty for confirmation on the Mole. It was likely at Betty's behest that Cora hacked into her personal files. Once Cora tripped Lindsay's booby-trap she knew all three of them would be in danger. The park was just an excuse to get them together for the very meeting they were about to have. It was also why they weren't answering questions yet.

The car pulled into the driveway of a house that closely resembled the cottage in New Zeeland. The one she had tracked Shego too only to miss her by mere hours. It turned out to be a GJ safe house with a deceptively large basement. Kim guessed this house was similar but was sure there was a catch. GJ would be monitoring all their safe houses all the more with the three of them on the loose. If they tripped something half the agency would come down on their heads.

"What is this place?" Kim asked getting out of the car.

"It used to be a safe house…" Betty said over her shoulder as she walked toward the house. "I took it off the grid a number of years ago just incase I ever needed a place to hide." Answers at last Kim thought as she followed the other women into the house.

As Kim suspected Betty led them directly to the basement under the house. She had moved most of the upstairs amenities into the basement so it was like a self-contained apartment now. The other women went to the kitchen and dining area where Cora sat in a chair. Betty helped her put her left leg up on a chair and slid her skirt up past her knee. Kim had not noticed it before but Cora was wearing a brace on her knee. It wasn't an ordinary brace though. It was an experimental piece of technology that was supposed to help people with serious injuries. It essentially bypassed the injury allowing the person to function normally while they healed. Kim recognized the devise because she was offered the use of one after she was injured in the Rockwaller bombing. She had refused. The device wasn't perfect and could have complications. In some cases the damaged area would not heal properly or not at all.

That answered one of her questions, how Cora had been so physically capable only weeks after tearing her ACL. Betty finished helping Cora remove the brace and wrapped her knee in fresh gauze. Kim approached the table and sat across from Cora and Betty.

"I'm sorry for keeping you in the dark." Betty said folding her hands in front of her.

"Things are moving fast and we needed to make sure we could meet in safety." Betty continued. Kim nodded politely. It made sense but she was still angry. It made her feel she was on the outside of this little group.

"Who exactly is 'we'?" Kim asked. Betty raised an eyebrow picking up on the hostility in her voice.

"We is everyone in this room." Betty answered.

"Aw, how sweet…" Shego's voice came from the stairwell. Then Shego came into view walking into the room.

"Nice of you to include me, Beth." Shego smiled. Betty leapt to her feet and a Kunai knife appeared in her hand

"Take it easy." Shego raised her hands. "I didn't come here to fight."

"Why are you here… how did you even find us?" Betty demanded still holding the Kunai at the ready.

Shego chuckled. "You think you people are the only ones who can track a GPS signal?"

"What GPS signal?" Betty asked. Shego said nothing but looked at Kim. The rest of the eyes in the room followed.

Kim sank in her seat. "The Kimmunicator." The room relaxed slightly. Betty lowered the Kunai but didn't let go of it.

"You should have turned it off Pumpkin." Shego said walking to the table. She leaned against the chair next to Kim.

"I know you wanted to talk in privet but since I'm part of the team I thought I should join in." Shego was looking pointedly at Betty.

"When have you ever been a team player?" Betty scoffed. Kim looked from one woman to the other. She recalled Monique's account of Betty's raid on Shego and Bonnie's hideout. Monique had said she felt like there was a history between them.

"What's the deal with you two?" Kim spoke up. Betty stared at Shego for a moment longer before looking at Kim.

"We've known each other for a long time." Betty said. Kim rolled her eyes. Typical spy… her answer was accurate yet useless. Shego must have known what Kim was thinking because she chuckled.

"She tried to recruit me several times in her early days as director… But, by that point I had already decided I didn't want to be a hero." Shego said. Betty stood up straight and tapped the Kunai against her forearm. The clink of metal on metal was a stark reminder of Betty's prosthetic limb and Kim wondered if she was intentionally calling attention to it.

"I wasn't looking for a hero. I needed someone to do the jobs no one wants. To do things no one wants to know about." Betty sighed.

"You wanted me to do your wet work." Shego pulled into the same rigid posture that Betty had assumed.

"Your whole career has been wet work." Betty's voice rose. Shego observed her before replying. When she did her voice stayed at its same neutral level.

"I wasn't interested in killing for someone else, least of all for the ones who claim to stand for good." With that silence descended on the table though the air remained thick with animosity. Kim broke the quiet to ask another question.

"So… how did you wind up in an alliance?"

"It wasn't my idea." Betty said. "It was Lindsay's."

Kim leaned forward. "Lindsay talked you into that?"

"I wish I had known the little bastard had an ulterior motive." Betty nodded.

"Right… back to the reason we're here… Lucas Lindsay." Cora was clearly trying to put them back on track. She didn't seem to be as bothered by Shego's presence as Betty did.

"Lindsay is on to us so we need to move fast, but we need a plan." Cora look from one woman to the next. Kim suspected Cora already had a semblance of a plan and that it somehow included Shego. Betty took her seat setting the Kunai on the table in front of her. Shego lingered for a short time before settling in the seat next to Kim.

"What are you thinking?" Kim asked looking at Cora.

"We can't go to the authorities…" Cora began. "We don't have enough hard evidence and Lindsay has probably already flagged us as wanted fugitives."

"So we take him out ourselves." Shego shrugged as if it were already obvious.

Betty shook her head. "No, we are taking him in alive. We need to know who he is working for."

"He'll never give that up." Shego retorted.

"You don't know Lindsay… he'll give up his employer to save his own skin." Betty spun the Kunai knife on the table. The balanced throwing knife traced a lazy arc throwing off reflections of the lights above. The reflected light flashed in Kim's eyes. When she closed them she saw herself back at the airfield. Fire erupted from the barrel of her pistol, an assassin fell to the cold muddied earth. Kim opened her eyes and was back in the basement of Betty's safe house. She pushed the images from her mind and refocused her thoughts.

The talk about what to do after they had Lindsay seemed premature. They had to catch him first and that wouldn't be easy. He was likely hold up in GJ headquarters behind several levels of security.

"How do we even get to him?" Kim sighed.

"It would be easiest if we could flush him out into the open." Shego offered.

Cora said. "Lindsay isn't likely to leave HQ. With the press of a few buttons he can lock that whole place down. He won't want to give up that kind of security." The others nodded in what was perhaps the first sign of mutual agreement.

"Then I guess we need to take that security away from him." Kim said with a smile.

Betty sat forward. "Two teams, one will disable the security systems, the other will go after Lindsay." Kim looked around the table. The question was obvious. How would the teams be formed? Who was going with who?

Betty spoke again. "I know that building and it's systems better then anyone else. Shego and I will take care of Security. Kim and Cora will get the target."

Shego immediately objected. "No way, I'm going with Kim… you GJ sluts can stay together."

Betty reacted calmly, not rising to Shego's taunt.

"You don't know the building as well as Cora does… and frankly I don't trust you not to execute Lindsay on the spot." Shego looked like she was going to argue further, but stopped short of it. She sat back in her chair and actually started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Cora asked her.

"It wasn't long ago that you were defending GJ headquarters from me and Bonnie and now your getting ready to work with me to break into it." Shego chuckled again. Kim actually smiled at that. Shego was right. The irony was so thick it was funny. This was more of a joke then a real operation. She just hoped the punch line would be in their favor.

* * *

In the next chapter:

With no time left heroes and villains will work together in a desperate bid to catch a common enemy.


	15. Desperate Measures

Chapter 12

Desperate Measures

As it turned out former director Betty Shepard didn't screw around when it came to being prepared. The basement apartment of her safe house included a sizeable armory given the limited space. Betty and Kim were going through it picking out their equipment. Shego opted out deciding to stay with her trademark jumpsuit and plasma powers or "The classics" as she called them. Kim came out of the armory first wearing a flack jacket, a .45 caliber Sig Sauer pistol, and a radio earpiece. Kim walked over to Cora who was attempting to put on her knee brace.

"Do you really trust that thing?" Kim asked gesturing to the device.

"The alternative is to sit on the bench while you have all the fun." Cora replied engaging the latches on each side. She looked up to see Kim's expression of disapproval and added.

"I'm only using it for short periods. I'll be okay." That seemed to help as Kim's expression softened. Kim reached behind her back and drew out the gun Cora had given her. The gun she had carried since the siege on GJ. The gun she had used to kill two assassins less then a day before.

"Since you're back on your feet." Kim set the gun down on the table in front of Cora. The older woman picked up the weapon. She ejected the magazine and inspected it.

"There are rounds missing." She said.

"Yes."

"You fired it?"

"Yes."

Cora reset the magazine into the gun and set it down. She activated the brace and stood with a slight limp as the brace took over for her body. Then she wrapped her arms around Kim in a gentle embrace. Kim wasn't quite prepared for the gesture. It was the first time Cora had hugged her, In fact the dark-haired GJ agent was typically reserved when it came to physical contact. Kim saw Shego staring at them with a raised eyebrow and immediately felt uncomfortable.

Cora whispered. "I'm sorry." She pulled back slightly to look Kim in the eyes. "Are you all right?" Kim wasn't sure how to respond. She was still puzzled by the displays of concern for her wellbeing of late. However, it was more comforting coming from Cora then it was from Shego.

"I will be…" Kim said at last.

"Good." Cora smiled half-heartedly and retrieved her gun from the table. Betty came out of the armory and joined them once again at the table. She was wearing a flack-jacket, black gloves and combat boots. She also wore a shoulder holster on her right side holding a .50 Desert Eagle. However, she also came carrying three BZK E380s, which she laid out on the table.

"I want each of you to take one of these… most of the people inside HQ will be innocent…" Shego interrupted to scoff. Betty through a pointed look in her direction and then continued.

"Use none-lethal force unless you have no other choice." Betty made eye contact with each of them but her gaze came to rest on Kim.

"Kim, I'm going to have to ask you for something." Kim nodded already knowing what the request would be. She reached into her pocket and took out the Kimmunicator.

"You need this right?" Kim held it out to her.

With the built in doc and code-breaking programs Wade had loaded it with, the Kimmunicator was the perfect intrusion device. It would help Betty hack into GJ's system so she could shut down security.

Betty nodded taking it from Kim. "Thank you."

Kim fretted as she watched Betty pocket the Kimmunicator. She had just gotten it from Wade and already she was handing it over with no assurance of getting it back.

* * *

The four of them traveled together in a white paneled utility van. Cora drove while Betty rode shotgun. Shego and Kim were forced to hunker down in the back of the van that conveniently had no seating. As they road Betty filled them in on her plan to get them into GJ HQ. It was then that Kim understood why she had divided the teams the way she had. As Betty explained it there was a massive substructure of honeycombed access tunnels that ran throughout the building. Allowing complete access to any point in the complex from any other if you knew how to navigate the labyrinth to get where you wanted to go.

One of the tunnels met up with the Schooley Street subway station. That was to be their entry point. From there the two teams would split up. Betty and Shego would proceed to the subbasement to disable security, while Cora led Kim to the outlet nearest Lindsay's office. Once security was down they would capture Lindsay alive. It was a gutsy plan… Shego had called it "Desperate and foolish." Betty reminded her that desperate times call for desperate measures. The sentiment didn't seem to comfort Shego. It was hard to imagine why the green skinned woman was still going along with them at all. Shego never did anything without a clear intention and given the open disdain she had shown thus far it was obvious Shego's goal was different from the rest of theirs. At least Kim thought it was obvious and she found it hard to believe Betty didn't see the same thing. Yet the operation seemed to require four people to execute properly. So the only logical conclusion was that both women were using each other to further their own ends. Ordinarily Kim would have been interested to see who came out on top, but in this case both Cora's and her own life hung in the balance and Kim did not like that at all.

Cora stayed off the main roads whenever she could to avoid being picked up by traffic cameras. She knew where most of them were and took alternate routes. When they arrived at the Schooley St. subway station Cora parked the van and both she and Betty came into the back with Kim and Shego. There was a set of coveralls, one for each of them, in a footlocker. The name and logo of the local power company were stenciled over the left breast. There were a number of phone and utility lines that ran through the subway system and they were told to say they were conducting maintenance should anyone ask. Kim frowned pulling on the stained tan coverall. This ruse might work on an average pedestrian that wasn't really paying attention. But, anyone with some sense who looked closely enough would be able to tell the four of them were not a maintenance crew. Desperate measures Kim reminded herself and zipped up the coveralls. They were a little too big and baggy which would make it hard to move should anything go wrong… Kim hoped nothing would but their luck in that area had not been great so far.

From the van they proceeded down into the subway. The terminal was busy but not crowded and most of the people ignored them. However, Kim noticed a couple transit police officers were watching them. Kim kept her head down and tried to avoid making eye contact as she followed the others.

Betty led them to a door marked "Maintenance" which stood next to the restrooms behind a cart vendor selling sunglasses. The room behind the door looked at first like a regular janitorial closet. Upon closer examination though the room seemed too large and in one of the back corners a fire alarm switch had been installed. Betty walked over to it and pulled the handle. It did not activate a fire alarm but opened a small alcove in the wall containing a keypad. Betty pulled out the Kimmunicator. She opened the camera app and set an ultraviolet filter on the image. A set of fingerprints became visible on the keys. Betty stared at them for a moment and then typed in a code. The wall split apart leaving a gap about two and a half feet wide.

"How did you know the right order?" Kim asked as Betty placed the Kimmunicator back in her pocket.

"Believe it or not there are only a handful of codes we use… they just get recycled over and over again." Betty replied going through the opening in the wall. The rest followed and the opening sealed shut behind them.

They were now standing in a narrow concrete hallway sparsely lit by florescent lights mounted in the corners were the wall and floor met. The bottom up lighting cast strange shadows on the ceiling and was a little disorienting. Each of them stripped off their coveralls, rolled them up and left them by the entrance they had come through.

* * *

"Okay… here's where we split up." Betty said. "Everyone stay sharp and if all goes well we'll meet up on the other side." Betty and Cora shook hands. Shego had folded her arms in front of herself and looked board. Betty extended her hand to Kim.

"Good Luck." She said.

Kim took her hand. "You too." She shook it. Then they each set off in separate directions.

Betty hadn't been joking about the place being a labyrinth. Cora led her through so many turns and passages that Kim was quickly lost. She wasn't even sure if she could find her way back the way they came. Cora was silent as they walked causing Kim to glance over at her. Despite how effortlessly she was navigating the web of passageways Cora's expression was grim.

"Something wrong?" Kim asked.

"I don't trust Shego and I don't like leaving her alone with the direct…" Cora caught herself and corrected. "…With Dr. Shepard."

Kim nodded. "I know what you mean. Shego's here for her own reason, but Betty can take care of herself." The hall they were in came to an abrupt end at a ladder, which ascended through an access hatch in the ceiling. Cora turned around to face Kim.

"No doubt, but if and when Shego breaks ranks she will compromise the operation and put us all at risk." Cora said.

"Guess we'll just have to be ready then." Kim nodded toward the ladder. "Where to now?"

"Now we wait." Cora sighed. "That ladder ends in a closet 30 meters from Lindsay's office."

"In a closet?" Kim repeated raising an eyebrow.

"It's actually part of an emergency evacuation plan. We can evacuate the director and command staff from up there to the bunker you and I used when Shego and Bonnie attacked." Cora glanced at her watch as her foot tapped restlessly on the concrete floor.

They waited for what seemed like hours, though according to Cora's watch it had been approximately 20 minutes. Then their earpieces came to life breaking the radio silence.

"Team 2, Team one. We're all set." Betty's voice said then a pause and it sounded like she was saying something to Shego but Kim couldn't make out what it was. Then she came back on the line. "Security going offline in 3… 2… 1…" The lights in the passage way dimmed for a moment and then got brighter. The secured latch above them emitted an electronic pulse and the hatched dropped open.

"We are proceeding." Cora said into her radio and gestured to Kim to follow. Cora started to climb the ladder and Kim came up right behind her. Cora had just made it to the hatch when their earpieces squawked with feedback and static then Betty's voice cut through the noise.

"What? That's not… shit!" More static. "Team 2, do not advance… I repe… do no… advance…" Betty's voice cut in and out. Cora froze but it was too late one hand had gripped the rung on the other side of the hatch. Suddenly alarms sounded. They could hear them reverberating through the walls of the shaft and shrieking in their earpieces.

"Sheg… don't you…" Betty's voice continued in and out overpowered by static and alarms. The lights in the shaft change color from yellowish florescent to deep red.

"What's happening?" Kim called up to Cora. Before the older woman could answer the security lock on the open hatch beeped again and the door began to close.

* * *

In the next chapter:

The third vignette chapter will reveal what happened to Shego and Betty after the teams split up.


	16. Vignette Three

Vignette Three

Shego followed behind Betty Shepard as they navigated the maze of hallways. She didn't need Betty to lead the way. Despite what she said the substructure that ran throughout the heart of GJ headquarters was hardly a secret. Shego knew about the tunnels and would have been able to find her way with little difficulty. However, Shego didn't want anyone to know that, at least not yet. For now it was best they all believed she was ignorant and on the same page with them. It would give her an advantage when she put her own plan into motion.

"You're awful quiet." Betty said and Shego noticed she was taking long glances at her.

"I thought this was an infiltration mission… those are usually done quietly." Shego sniped.

She liked baiting the former director. She had for years. For a moment she wondered if she should have told Kimmy the whole truth about her history with Betty Shepard. It was true the Betty had tried to recruit her several times before she turned evil. However, that was after she had teamed up with her on a few missions. She was just an agent then, before she became Director of GJ. The first time they worked together had been out of necessity, but it turned out so well that Betty had asked for her help on a few subsequent cases. At the time Shego loved the adventure and travel even more then she did now. She also liked the younger Betty Shepard, she was more fun and free spirited.

They had developed a friendship during that time and spent a lot of time together. That was before she lost her eye and became obsessed with justice. Particularly when it came to bringing down Gemini, her twin brother. Shego believed Betty felt betrayed when she turned to the dark side. Shego was not sure why Betty had taken it so personally but the hurt and anger that still remained could make it easy to push her buttons. Which, of course, Shego loved to do, especially when the woman was being so damn smug and superior.

"There's three meters of reinforced concrete between us and anyone who might be listening." Betty reached out and patted the wall of the passageway as she spoke.

"You know me Beth. I've never had much to say." Shego smiled

"I really wish you'd stop calling me that."

"You used to like it."

"Yes and that's why it hurts like hell when you do it now." Betty took a deep breath. "We need to focus on the mission, we can rehash the past later." Shego didn't respond and let her silence speak for her. She wanted to continue prodding Betty but doing so might raise her suspicion. Shego knew they all had their doubts about her already and she didn't need to do anything to provoke them. They didn't have anything specific yet, because if they did they wouldn't have allowed her to come along. They were fools. They were so focused on Lindsay they had lost sight of the real threat. If GJ got their hands on him they would waist time questioning him. But, they would never break Lindsay in a cushy interrogation room. Something more extreme would be needed if they were ever to get anything out of him. Like Betty said desperate times call for desperate measures.

Betty led them down a series of ladders finally ending in the sub basement. The security hub was a short distance from where they entered contained in a 15 by 10 foot room. Servers lined both walls incased in glass. The back wall held a workstation. Betty quickly hooked the Kimmunicator to the workstation and began running the bypass program. Shego looked around the room. Dozens of wires ran in bundles through metal tubes in the ceiling. An exhaust fan in the center of the ceiling pulled excess heat from the room.

She heard Betty both next to her and in her earpiece. "Team 2, Team one. We're all set." Betty continued to type commands into the Kimmunicator.

"You are taking out the backups too, right?" Shego asked looking over at Betty.

"Why do you think we're in the basement hub?" She threw over her shoulder and then turned back speaking into her earpiece. "Security going offline in 3… 2… 1…"

The lights dimmed briefly but other than that nothing special seemed to happen.

"We are proceeding" Cora's voice came through her earpiece. Betty reached out and unplugged the cable from the computer. A series of beeps and tones came from the workstation computer. Shego and Betty looked at each other and Shego could see the alarm in her eyes. Every server in the room shut down and then rebooted at the same time.

"What's going on Beth?" Shego asked. Betty turned back to the workstation.

"What? That's not right… oh shit!" Betty pressed her hand to her earpiece.

"Team 2, do not advance… I repeat do not advance."

"Beth…" Shego took a step toward the door. Then the alarms sounded. Klaxons wailed and lights flashed. Betty swore again trying to plug the Kimmunicator back into the workstation. It was a futile effort. Betty's hack triggered a reboot that wiped out whatever she had done. Shego turned and bolted for the door.

She heard Betty call after her. "Shego, don't you dare bale on me!"

Shego ignored her. Security had been tripped and they didn't have a lot of time. She had to get to Lindsay fast. With the security alarms blaring Shego guessed Lindsay would opt to evacuate the building. There was a heliport on the roof for emergencies. If GJ suspected the security passages were compromised the roof was the most likely evac point. Shego decided to head straight there. If she were wrong she could always steel the helicopter and pick up Lindsay wherever he happened to surface. It would also provide a useful means of escape. The route up was hardly ideal, littered with access ladders and security hatches. The latter of which were sealed tight when the security alarms were triggered. This wasn't really a problem since she could open them again with a well-placed plasma bolt, but the whole process was slowing her down too much.

She knew she must be getting close to the roof when the ladder she was climbing came out in an expansive room. She was standing on a metal catwalk that ran around the top of a large tank of water. She looked over the railing wondering at what the massive water tank was for when she recalled one wall of the director's office was a fish tank. That tank apparently ran up threw the building and ended here. Shego looked around. The catwalk went in a circuit around the room. Above her more ladders led to scaffolding and several levels of walkways right up to the ceiling. It was all that stood between her and her destination. She traced the quickest route up the scaffolding to the exit she believed would get her to the roof. Heading for the ladder nearest her Shego overheard voices echoing into the room.

"There's no way the intruders could have made it this far." A male voice said.

"Quit your bitching… let's finish our sweep and report in." A second deeper voice replied. They were getting closer. Shego looked around for a place to hide, but the room was too big and open. The girders and supports wouldn't provide enough cover in the event of a fight either. She would have to take out these guards quickly. Shego built a plasma charge in each hand and waited for the men to appear.

They came into the room a few moments later from an entrance in the north wall to the right of where she stood. They wore blue fatigues and yellow tinted glasses. The glasses actually had a microcomputer in them, which fed a Head's Up Display over the lenses. The glasses could also see in infrared and ultraviolet light spectrums. They were supposed to still be in prototype phase… Shego had stolen a pair for Drakken a couple of years ago. They didn't work very well back then. If GJ was using them they had obviously gone to alpha phase… it also made the lack of cover to hide behind a nonissue. One of the guards also wore what looked like body armor but it wasn't standard issue.

The guard without the armor said. "But when the assignment is bullshit we've got a right to bitch."

"Enough already… first it was the vests and now the patrol…" Deep voice sighed.

"What… my vest didn't fit right. That's why I took it off and…" The unarmored guard stopped as he spotted Shego. The other guard followed his gaze.

"Hey you!" The armored guard called. He reached for his gun while the other went for his radio. Shego let loose plasma bolts with both hands. The first bolt struck the unarmored guard, the one grabbing his radio. It struck him in the chest knocking him back and igniting his fatigues. He screamed twisting and batting at the flames with his hands. The other guard had raised his pistol before the second of Shego's bolts hit him. Like the first guard the bolt hit center mass but the effect was very different. The plasma seemed to be repelled and splashed over the surface before dissipating. There was no apparent damage and the guard aimed his gun at her. Shego was stunned. Someone had developed body armor that could protect against her powers. The first guard, still aflame, ran at the railing and propelled himself over it and into the water below.

"Don't fucking move!" The armored guard shouted. Shego raised her hands. She needed to buy some time. The armor covered the torso but couldn't protect his head or legs. However, that would require more careful aiming and the guard already had her in his sights. Still holding his gun on her he took a few small lateral steps toward the water tank.

"Jeff…" The armored guard called. "Jeff you alive?" There was no answer. The guard reached the railing and took his eyes off Shego just long enough to look down at his partner. It was just long enough. Shego launched a plasma bolt at the guard while he was distracted. He must have seen it in his periphery because his eyes snapped back up at her and his finger closed around the trigger. The bullet and the plasma bolt passed each other in the air. The plasma struck first. It hit the guard in the upper chest. The armor deflected the bolt upward spraying it over his neck and face. The guard's bullet struck Shego in the right shoulder. The force spun her around and sent her over the railing. Shego dropped into the water tank. She righted herself and swam for the surface. The salt water in the tank stung her gunshot wound. Shego broke the surface and managed to get a breath of air before she saw them. A pair of shark fins on the far side of the tank, heading in her direction.

Each Shark was about 10 feet long and had a white stripe running down its back. That meant they were likely Tiger sharks. They were scavengers with voracious appetites and highly adaptable diets. That was the nice way of saying the damn things would pretty much eat anything they came across. They were second to Great Whites in terms of attacks on humans, but their indiscriminate pallet made them more of a threat. It looked like the charred corpse of the GJ guard had initially attracted the shark's attention but now there was fresh blood in the water. The area surrounding Shego was already turning red. One shark continued toward the dead guard while the other turned toward her. She didn't have much time to come up with a plan. She couldn't just blast at it. The salt and other particulates in the water would act as conductors. The plasma would travel through the water and fry her along with the sharks. But if she could find a way to contain the plasma, concentrate it inside… Shego smiled. She had a plan. It was wild, insane even, but it was a plan.

She dove under the water leaving a trail of red in her wake. Facing the shark she hovered in place watching it advance. She waited as it closed in, preparing to strike. When it's eyes rolled back into its head Shego kick and twisted to the side. The shark just missed her but Shego wasn't done. She grabbed hold of its fin as it passed and swung around onto the sharks back. It bucked and fought to throw her off but Shego held tight. She drove her fist into the Shark's gills sending it into spasms and convulsions. Then she let loose a blast of plasma inside the shark. The shark stopped moving and then blew in two. The water became a red haze making it impossible to see. Shego picked the direction she thought should be up and swam for the surface. When she emerged into the air she coughed and spit up bloodied water. Once she could breathe Shego headed for a place to climb out. The remaining shark was busy inspecting the bloody remains of its mate and didn't offer an immediate threat. Out of the water she laid on her back for a few moments taking deep slow breaths.

A sharp pain from her shoulder got her moving again. She inspected the wound as best as she could. It looked like the bullet had passed clean through with little permanent damage. The tip of her left index finger glowed green as she collected a plasma charge there. Shego bit her lip and cauterized the wound front and back to stop the bleeding. Her earpiece had been dead for a while now and Shego figured the water had gotten to it. But as she finished treating herself the speaker crackled, buzzed and then she could here Kim's voice. The signal was weak and garbled with static but she could still make out what Kim was saying.

"Lindsay is rabbiting… he is heading for the roof…"

Shego smiled, she had been right after all. She was close. She could make it. There was still a chance.

* * *

In the next chapter:

Kim and Cora attempt to capture Lindsay but when the hunt becomes a chase all bets are off.


	17. Just Ends

Chapter 13

Just Ends

The lights in the hallway and in the shaft changed color. A deep red replaced the sickly yellow florescent. Then the security lock beeped again and the hatch door began to close.

"Shite! Move!" Cora shouted and climbed two rungs at a time. Kim did her best to follow but the door connected with her ankle and knocked her foot off the rung it was perched on. Kim swore lifting her legs and pulling herself up by her arms. It was enough to get her safely out of the doors way as it closed and latched. The time she had spent on the Navy's obstacle course finally paid off.

"You had me worried for a moment…" Cora said from above her. Kim found her footing and looked up at her.

"Ready to move." Kim felt her heart beat against her chest. She was used to things going wrong during missions, but this one wasn't even starting properly. That didn't bode well for their chances of success. However, there was no backing out now. Whatever happened they were committed to see it through. They climbed until the ladder ended at another security hatch, which was of course sealed. Cora pressed a hand to her earpiece.

"Team 1, Team 2. We've reached the principal but are being blocked by a security hatch."

Betty's voice came in garbled. "Team 2 I read you… counter intrusion measures have been activated I can't trigger another system wide shut down…" There was a hiss of static and then. "I may be able to isolate and bypass a single lock for a few seconds… standby." They waited and some seconds later the hatch above them opened.

"Team 1, Team 2. That did it we are advancing." Cora said. On the other end of the line they heard what sounded like gunfire. Then Betty came back on the line.

"I'm taking fire…" then the line went dead. No static. Just silence. Kim and Cora looked at each other the same expression of concern written in both their features. Then a mask of indifference covered Cora's.

"We've got an op to finish." Cora climbed out of the shaft and out into the room beyond. Kim followed and the security hatch closed after them.

Cora took out her BZK, charged the barb in the chamber and switched off the safety. She took up a position beside the door and waved Kim over. Kim followed suit readying her BZK and coming to stand next to the older agent.

"Lindsay's office will be to the left and straight ahead 15 meters." Cora said. Kim cocked her eyebrow at her and Cora rolled her eyes.

"…About 50 feet." Cora interpreted.

"How long have you been living here?" Kim smiled.

"Not long enough to start using bloody imperial." Cora smiled back and placed her hand on the doorknob. Kim raised her BZK and nodded. Cora turned the knob and pushed the door open with her foot. Kim swept the hallway to the left.

"Clear." Kim said. Cora went through the door and scanned to the right.

"Clear." Kim exited turning left. Cora turned around and followed behind her. The route was quiet and disturbingly empty. Cora pulled up short at the end of the hallway. Beyond the corner lay a series of offices including Lindsay's.

"Something's not right." Cora whispered. "There's no guards and no secretary manning the desk."

That suggested a couple of possibilities. Either the floor had already been evacuated or…

"Freeze!" A voice called out. Security appeared suddenly from both sides surrounding them.

"Drop your weapons." The order came. Kim looked at Cora. She couldn't read her expression but the older woman had made no movement to comply. They kept their BZKs pointed at the floor, but they were not ready to put them down. Kim was kicking herself. They should have seen this coming. The security in front of them parted to reveal Lucas Lindsay standing safely behind them.

"Ladies… put your guns down." Lindsay wore a sick arrogant smile. Neither Kim nor Cora moved as they stared him down and Kim involuntarily tightened her grip on her BZK.

"My men have former director Shepard in custody already and teams have been sent for Shego." Lindsay shrugged. "It's over." Kim looked at Cora again. Cora stared at Lindsay as surprise lost out to skepticism.

"You're lying." Cora said turning back to Lindsay.

"No I'm not." Lindsay took a step toward them and as he did the security guards raised their assault rifles at Kim and Cora.

"Now safety your weapons and place them on the ground." Lindsay was still smiling. He thought he had won. Though it was difficult to argue the point given their current outlook. Especially if Lindsay were telling the truth about Betty, though Cora doubted it and Kim wanted to.

"Do these men know their working for a mole?" Cora asked refusing to back down. The guard's posture shifted and the muzzles of their rifles sank slightly as one or two exchanged glances.

Lindsay chuckled, unshaken. "Are you so desperate that you'd resort to baseless slander?"

"Oh we have the basis…" Cora looked around at the guards. "He's a fucking traitor and we can prove it!" The unrest in the guards was evident now and Kim saw the briefest moment of panic slip into Lindsay's features. Cora was getting to him.

Kim had known Cora for weeks now but in that time she had not faced a pressure cooker situation like this. She couldn't help but admire her cool demeanor and nerves of steal. Then there was a commotion from behind them. A guard called out and then dropped to the floor. The guards moved to face this new threat. Kim was turning to look when something slid across the floor between her feet. It was her Kimmunicator. Lindsay was lying after all. Betty had gotten away from his men just as Cora believed. This exchange was just to give her enough time to reach them. The display on the Kimmunicator showed a countdown in progress with 4 seconds to go. Underneath the count down it read "Sonic bombardment". Kim's eyes went wide.

"Cora… ears…!" Kim shouted. Both she and Cora covered their ears as the timer hit zero… A loud series of high-pitched tones shrieked from the Kimmunicator. The sounded reverberated off the walls. The guards dropped their weapons and grabbed their heads. Four of the men behind them dropped, convulsing on the floor from BZK barbs. The noise abruptly stopped. The remaining guards stumbled off balance, trying to recover. Kim and Cora picked off the remaining guards. Betty ran up to them ejecting the spent magazine.

"Where's Lindsay?" Betty asked putting in a fresh mag. Kim turned to where he had been standing but Lindsay was gone.

"He's not here." Kim said scanning for him.

"Shite…" Cora replaced the magazine in her own BZK. "He's probably heading for the helipad on the roof."

"He is." Betty nodded. "He's already got a chopper waiting."

"I'll take point." Cora said starting out at a jog.

"Kim, cover our rear." Betty said. Kim reached for the spare BKZ mag but it was missing. She wasn't sure how or when she had lost it but the weapon was useless now. Kim dropped it and took out the .45 pistol instead. She followed behind keeping an eye out for guards coming up behind them. On the off chance Shego was still listening Kim put her hand to her earpiece.

"Lindsay is rabbiting, He is heading for the roof." There was no answer, but Kim believed Shego was still in the game. If they couldn't make it in time maybe Shego could. After all she wanted Lindsay just as bad as the rest of them… at least that's what she told herself.

They ran into very little resistance on the way to the roof. Just a few more security guards that Cora and Betty managed to incapacitate with their BZKs. They burst out onto the roof in cover formation but there were no guards present, just the helicopter. It was already over five feet in the air and was climbing fast. The side door was open and they could see Lindsay inside.

"Damn it!" Cora tried to line up a shot but it was a futile action and she seemed to know it. So did Lindsay who leaned out the side of the helicopter and waved with one finger. They watched in silence as the Loach continued to rise. The wind beat against their bodies but did nothing to dampen the weight of defeat that descended on them.

Then two globes of green plasma shot into the air from beneath the helipad on the opposite end of the roof. The plasma bolts streaked toward the Loach like heat seeking missiles. The first impacted to the rear of the fuselage the second struck the tail rotor. The Helicopter was loosing altitude and began to spin out of control. Shego's first plasma bolt must have ruptured the fuel line because the helicopter began bleeding gas as it descended. There was nothing they could do but watch as the helicopter came crashing back toward the helipad.

Lindsay appeared in the side door again and jumped clear of the doomed aircraft. He fell almost 10 feet tucking and rolling as the helicopter smashed into the far end of the landing pad. Something ignited the fuel and the helicopter exploded. Kim found herself on her back and looked around for Cora and Betty. They both laid near by and appeared to be uninjured. Kim rose to her feet now looking for Lindsay. The smoke was beginning to lift and Kim saw him 20 feet away. Shego was standing over him lifting his upper torso off the landing pad by his shirt.

"Who are you working for?" She shouted at him. When he didn't answer Shego slammed him against the landing pad and then lifted him up again.

"Tell me you little bastard!" She shouted. Cora and Betty were on their feet and had raised their BZKs toward Shego.

"Let him go!" Betty called. Shego glanced at them her eyes ablaze.

"I don't take orders from you Beth…" Shego snapped and turned her attention back to Lindsay.

"Were on the same side here." Betty and Cora slowly advanced toward Shego and Lindsay.

"Says the one pointing a weapon at me." Shego snarled.

"Point taken…" Betty said. "Now let him go!"

Shego looked at the BZKs and considered them for a moment. She had to remember when Bonnie shot her with one. Shego thrust Lindsay down so that he hit the landing pad hard. He groaned doubled over and coughed. Kim moved to join the other women as they stood over Lindsay. Lindsay struggled to prop himself up on his elbows and looked up at them.

"You think this is over?" He rasped. "You think you've won…" He coughed again his breath ragged.

He spit out a wad of phlegm and blood.

"You have no idea what's really going on… there is no stopping what's coming." Lindsay started to laugh and they could hear something rattling in his lungs. Betty lowered herself to one knee and let her BZK fall at her side.

"What are you talking about… what's coming?" Betty asked. Lindsay grinned at her and opened his mouth to speak. But, before he could say anything Lindsay's head exploded in a shower of blood. They heard the rifle shot a second later.

Cora shouted. "Sniper!"

The four women dropped to the ground. The sound of the gunshot echoed between the buildings but no more shots followed. Cora and Betty were scanning the rooftops looking for the snipers location. Kim looked over at where Lindsay had fallen. They had caught him but he wouldn't answer any questions now. Someone had made sure of that. His last words still hung in her mind. "There's no stopping what's coming."

Shego swore from her prone position a few feet away. She slowly stood looking down at Lindsay's remains.

"Are you crazy?" Betty hissed.

Shego shook her head. "If the sniper wanted us dead we'd be dead already." They waited to see if She was right. Shego finally turned away from Lindsay's body and looked at Kim.

"Thanks, for your help." Shego smiled. "We make a good team."

Kim rose to her knees. "What are you…?"

"I'm saying goodbye… but I'll be in touch." Shego took off sprinting for the edge of the landing pad. She jumped off the building launching herself into the air.

"Shego!" Kim shrieked without thinking. Shego seemed to hang in the air for a moment before she fell and disappeared from sight. Then a moment later Shego reappeared on the back of a small flying craft that looked like something Drakken used to use. Kim couldn't see who was piloting the craft. How did she even know it would be there, unless of course it was part of her plan the whole time? She broke off and went for Lindsay planning to abduct him and escape in that aircraft. Shego lowered herself in the passengers seat and the craft took off toward the horizon. Kim stood on her feet and watched it fade from view.

* * *

It was hours later. The clean up had only really just begun. However, one thing had happened startlingly fast. Betty Shepard had a secret meeting with some top officials in which she presented her evidence of Lindsay's guilt. With everything Lindsay had done and said thrown into doubt and with an agency in need of leadership Betty was reinstated as Director of GJ on a provisional basis. A formal investigation would be conducted but for now Dr. Director was Director once again. She had not wasted any time giving orders hoping to get a head start on repairing the damage Lindsay had caused. She sent agents to comb the rooftops for the sniper nest. They found very little to go on. The assassin had policed their brass and left very little evidence they had been there at all.

Kim sat in the reception area outside the Directors office. The very same place Lindsay's guards had ambushed them a short time ago. Her surroundings were all too familiar but now they felt different, tainted somehow. She stared into the cup of coffee in her hands, her thoughts dwelling on Monique. Now that this was all over she could finally get back to her. There was so much to tell… some of it she wasn't looking forward to. But Monique would have questions and she deserved answers. Kim hoped talking about it would help… Monique always seemed to know what to say.

"Ms. Possible?" Kim looked up to see Dr. Director's secretary looking at her.

"The director would like to see you." The secretary said. Kim nodded and rose from her seat and set the coffee down. It had not improved still tasting about as palatable as warm motor oil.

Inside the Director's office Betty stood behind her desk going over something on a tablet computer. When she saw Kim she set the tablet down and folded her arms.

"How are you holding up?" Betty asked.

"I'm tired and…" Kim paused. "I miss… home."

Dr. Director raised an eyebrow. "The place or the person?" It wasn't meant as a mean question and Kim was thankful that Betty had given her the opening.

"I miss her…" Kim nodded. Betty came out from behind her desk and placed a hand on Kim's shoulder.

"You'll be back with her soon there just a couple points of business we need to see to first." Kim tensed. She didn't like the sound of that.

"First, we haven't been able to track where Shego went after she jumped onboard that escape craft. Can I assume you didn't know anything about that?" Betty asked looking guilty.

Kim shook her head. "You should know me too well to assume…"

"Fair enough… The second thing is I need you to be available for a while. Without Lindsay it's going to take some time to put things back together and I may need help from time to time." Betty tried to smile though she knew she was asking a lot. Honestly Kim thought it was too much to ask. She didn't want to help anymore but she wasn't the type to say no to a friend either. She nodded. Betty took a deep breath.

"The last one is the hardest." She said with enough sympathy to make Kim worry.

"We don't know how badly Lindsay hurt us or who he was working for. We also don't know if the threat he was talking about is real or not…" Betty paused, maybe to see if Kim was keeping up with her. Then she dropped the bombshell.

"With all this still in question it would be unwise for us to spread any of it around." Kim was nodding along until the end of the statement. Her mouth dropped and her eyes widened.  
"You're saying I can't tell anyone about this… everything that's happened?" Kim asked.

"Until we know more it's just too dangerous." Betty replied.

"You mean I can't even explain what's happened to me to my family or Monique?" Kim's voice rose sharply.

"Would you if you thought it could endanger them…?" Betty kept her demeanor calm. When Kim didn't answer Betty turned to her desk and retrieved a piece of paper. She held it out to Kim.

"This is a federal gag order preventing you from discussing this case with anyone who is not apart of it, under penalty of law." Betty said a little too coldly. Kim took the paper but didn't read it. The reality was sinking in. There would be no therapeutic "spill session" no "girl chat" with Monique after she got home. Kim would have to bottle this… stuff in down inside and deal with it. The mere thought of it was depressing.

"Is there anything else?" Kim looked at Betty.

"Just one." Betty took out the Kimmunicator and handed it to Kim.

"When you're ready there is a transport waiting to take you home."

* * *

When Shego finally made it back to the hospital in Tokyo she found Bonnie had recovered significantly in her absence. The swelling in her brain had gone down and there was no sign of long-term injury. She was awake and had been giving nurses and doctors alike a hard time. Bonnie seemed to be expecting her even as she came through the door.

"I knew you were here." Bonnie smiled. "I could feel it." She was sitting up in her bed with a tray of half eaten hospital food before her.

"You've been practicing your meditation techniques." Shego smiled back at her approaching the bed.

"When I woke up they told be you left to take care of some personal business." Bonnie was trying to hide how she really felt but Shego could sense the questions.

"I went to find the people who did this to you." Shego said taking a seat in the chair next to the bed.

"Did you find them?" Bonnie asked.

"Not all of them… but it's finished for now." Shego told her.

"So some of them are still out there?"

"You didn't want me to have all the fun?" Shego said.

Bonnie nodded. "Speaking of which I've got something to show you." Bonnie pushed the tray table away from her slightly and then reached her right hand toward it. The tray and the silverware rattled and shook and moved about an inch toward Bonnie. She turned to Shego grinning.

"That's my girl…" Shego smiled back at her.

"So… the bathroom door has a lock…" Bonnie said nodding in the direction of the bathroom. Shego chuckled.

"Yep… diffidently my girl." She had expected Bonnie to attack her with questions as soon as they were back together. But the questions could wait… there was no rush and after everything that happened she liked the idea of being attacked in different way.

* * *

Middleton was pretty much as Kim had left it. Nothing changed but everything was different. The lack of familiarity she felt looking at the place she had called home made her even more desperate to see Monique again. To touch her. To feel that sense of safety she always had with her. Kim learned from Wade that Monique had been released from the hospital that morning and was at home in their apartment.

Walking up to the door anticipation turned to apprehension. What if Monique was angry with her? What if she hated her for leaving like she did? Would she even want to see her? Kim reached for her keys but then checked the motion. Instead she knocked on the door. Unsteady footsteps approached the other side of the door. The lock unbolted and the door opened inward. Monique looked at her through the gap leaning on a walking cane. A smile quickly brightened her tired expression.

"Kim!" She opened the door fully. Monique looked even more beautiful then she remembered. She was also relived to see the way Monique looked at her. There was no anger or malice in her eyes, just happiness and affection.

"Why did you knock… did you lose your key?" Monique asked.

Kim shook her head. "I wanted to make sure I had permission… to come in…" Kim said her voice just above a whisper. Monique look surprised at first but then smiled and tears formed in her eyes.

"You're an idiot…" Monique said and grabbed hold of Kim pulling her into an embrace. This was what she had been waiting for. Longing for. This one moment made everything else pale in comparison. There were still a lot of unanswered questions but Kim didn't care. It was like the rest of the world receded and all that mattered was the girl in her arms.

Monique whispered in her ear. "Welcome home…"

* * *

In the next chapter: The epilog...


	18. Epilog

Epilog

She set the black case down flat. Clicking open the latches she opened the case. Inside nestled in fitted foam insulation were the parts to a top of the line APR sniper rifle. She took the pieces out one by one and assembled the rifle in a matter of seconds. Once it was ready she pulled the bolt back to open the breach and placed a single .338 caliber round inside. She closed and locked the bolt and set the rifle down. From a compartment in the top of the case she took out a plastic tarp and laid it out on the rooftop. She laid down on top of the tarp with the sniper rifle, then sighted through the scope at the helipad just over 900 meters away and waited.

When her target emerged she followed him from the rooftop door to the helicopter. When he actually managed to make it she felt more then a little disappointment. It looked like he would make a clean getaway and that meant she wouldn't get to shoot him, at least not yet. She was just about to pack up and leave when she saw the green bolts of plasma strike the helicopter. It was badly damaged and was descending back toward the landing pad. Lindsay jumped clear in time and landed somewhat safely. She smiled amused by this. He had either the best or the worst luck in the world. Good if she had not been here for just this occasion, worst because she was. The helicopter crashed and exploded obscuring her view. When the smoke lifted Lindsay was obviously caught. Shego, Betty Shepard and Kim Possible stood over him. Shepard knelt down in front of him and said something. She wished she could take them all out. It wouldn't be hard. However her orders were clear kill Lindsay, only Lindsay and only if capture was imminent. Lindsay started to say something and laughed. She smiled… he really was a smug bastard. She brought the cross hairs over his right temple and squeezed the trigger. The rifle kicked against her shoulder and a blast of heat hit her in the face. Lindsay's head disappeared in a spray of red. The others hit the ground and started scanning the rooftops looking for her.

She didn't waist time she sat and quickly disassembled the rifle. Piece by piece it went back into the case. The tarp was neatly folded and placed back in its compartment. Lastly she retrieved the spent .338 casing and placed it in the case. The freight elevator returned her to street level in a minute and a half. She came out of the buildings back exit where a car waited for her. She slipped the case through the open passengers side window and someone took it. The car pulled away as she started walking the other way. She took out her encrypted cell phone and autodialed the only programmed number.

"My dear?" A male voice answered.

"It's done… he's dead." She said.

"Good… get back quickly. Once the dust settles you will likely be chosen as his successor."

"Yes sir." She ended the call and dropped the phone into a dumpster. She walked briskly but did not run. The path was carefully chosen to keep her obscured from the street while offering the quickest path back. Her destination was the meet up point for all GJ employees in the event of an evacuation. She managed to slip into the crowd unnoticed since everyone was agitated and chatting to each other. One of her friends and co-workers spotted her in the crowd and ran over.

"Jordan where have you been?" Sally asked.

"Just trying to find my way through all this." Jordan Hunter said.

"I know what you mean… so you haven't heard huh?" Sally said.

"Heard what?"

"They're saying Lindsay's a traitor."

Jordan pretended to act surprised. "Really… there was always something I didn't like about that prick."

"There's more." Sally said. "He was just killed… shot dead on the roof." Again Jordan pretended to act shocked by the news. Then after what she thought was an acceptable pause she said.

"Guess he had it coming…"

Sally said something about checking on another of their co-workers in disappeared in the crowd. Jordan headed for her posting ready to take on the new assignments that would surely come her way. It would involve a mountain of paperwork but it would be worth it. Everything was going according to plan… his plan… She had to admit in the beginning she was skeptical that it could actually work, but he had been right about everything so far and now it seemed nothing could stop him.

End Of Book Two


End file.
